Extreme Makeover: Theo Edition
by Heavens-Angel96
Summary: Brittany decides to help Theodore out when he develops a crush on a new girl by changing his personality. But can she deal with the feelings she develop for him?
1. Social Status

**Hello, children. It's story time! Woo! I've never done a Theittany before, so please read it before you grab you pitch forks and torches and hunt me down and kill me. NO FLAMING! This is a three-part story, and my first T-rated story (if I don't raise the rating for Gem Girlz anytime soon). And like my other stories, yes, it does start slow, but it gets better. Just be patient. Okay, onto the story!**

**Extreme Makeover: Theo Edition**

**Part 1**

_I can't believe I am doing this…_ Brittany thought bitterly as she sat in Foods 1 with the rest of the class which was, sadly, filled with losers. A couple of the dumbest girls on the cheer team thought this was an easy way to get an A. So did quite a few of the stocky football players. So now she was sitting with fifteen people in class that didn't know the difference between a ladle and a spoon.

The only one she didn't want to kill was Theodore Seville.

Theodore seemed to be the only one in the class that was in the class for the sheer enjoyment of cooking. He was like a Simon of the elective, whisking and baking with the skill and expertise of an actual cook. And, strangely enough, the girls in the class were kind of impressed and even, dare she even think it, attracted to that. The guys threatened to toss him in the trashcan-again-if he even _looked_ like he was thinking about the girls.

Girls wanted him. Guys wanted to be him.

That kind of seemed topsy-turvy to Britt, who was forced into the class simply because it was either pick this elective or pick from soccer or German 101. She did not want to take some language that wasn't even common in the Los Angeles area, therefore not envy-worthy like Spanish or French, which were unluckily filled. And puh-lease! Like she was going to get all sweaty and gross on that soccer field. I mean, she loved Ellie and all, but breaking her back every Tuesday and Thursday just to kick a black and white soccer ball around? And the outfits. Like she would be caught dead wearing polyester.

Brittany pulled on her long bangs. _God, this is so boring. I seriously need to transfer…_

"Hi, Brittany."

She snapped back to reality and found someone breathing on her.

Unfortunately, it was Theodore.

"Ew! Get away from me!" Brittany blurted, temporarily forgetting that he was her partner, therefore they sat together. Her cheeks burned as the class looked at her and Theodore stared at her with wide, watery green eyes.

"Is there a problem, Brittany?" Amanda, the young, free-flowing bohemian instructor that insisted she be called by her first name to break the imbalance between student and teacher, asked with concern. "I mean, if there is a problem, you can go into the Meditation Room and-"

"No!" Brittany hated the Med Room. You sat in the supply closet full of lit candles and beanbag chairs there for about twenty minutes and meditated, then rejoined the class. It was kind of like hippie time-out. "I mean, that won't be necessary, Ms. Smith-I mean, Amanda."

Amanda smiled at her. "Good. Now, class, focus and be one with your mixer…"

* * *

Brittany grumbled as she stomped out of the classroom, trudging to her locker. Maybe learning how to clog dance wasn't so bad a choice after all…

"Hi, Brittany!"

Brittany shrieked, dropping her books all over the place. "God, Theodore, what are you doing, stalking me?"

"Oh, uh, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," Theodore said shyly as he helped pick up the papers on the floor and gave them back. "I, uh, wanted to, er, ask if you wanted to, uh…"

Brittany locked eyes with him, piercing him with her icy-blue glare. "Theodore, if you're trying to say something, say it."

This just made him even more nervous. She had intense eyes, a pretty face, a cheerleader's toned body... "Uh…"

"Spit it out already!" Brittany was getting annoyed. What was his problem?

"D-do you want to w-work on the p-p-project with m-me?" he finally stammered, shaking his dazed stare.

Brittany raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? That's all?"

Theodore blushed. "Un-unless you want to…you know…"

"No," Brittany said, getting off the dirty floor (Ew!) and adjusting her books in her hands. She knew he wanted to ask her on a date, and she turned him down every time.

And why would she accept? She was on the top of the pyramid of popularity, with the peppy cheerleaders and hot football players. And he was at the near bottom, with the weirdos, burnouts, and other freaks. Dating someone so lowlife was social suicide, especially for a cheerleader. But, actually, she considered him a step up from them, putting him in neutral territory for her. Sure, he was okay, but he still kind of had baby fat from his preteen years. He had chubby cheeks, flabby abs, and was overly nice. He got beat up almost every day, and had yet to have a growth spurt. The rest of the Chipmunks and Chipettes had gone through puberty.

Even lanky, awkward Jeanette had gotten a tan and grew boobs.

Brittany opened her locker and stuffed her books in, ready for lunch (Hey, not all cheerleaders had to be anorexic to stay thin). As she closed her locker door and backed up, she bumped into Theodore. Why was he still here? "Why are you still here?"

"Uh, I didn't get an answer to my question," Theodore reminded her, walking behind her.

"And you haven't answered mine," she replied, sashaying into the cafeteria. As always, all eyes were on her as she went into the lunch line. She picked up a lunch tray and put a fruit cup, chicken salad, and diet Coke on it. Theodore followed and loaded his tray with a double cheeseburger, fries, an apple, a bag of Cheetos, a PB&J sandwich, two cartons of milk, and the last two churros.

Brittany rolled her eyes at the fattening food. But she would trade him her fruit cup for one of those churros.

"Hi, guys," Brittany said cheerfully as she sat in her usual spot next to Jeanette, who was busy drawing something in her sketchbook.

They all mumbled greetings in return.

"So what're you drawing, Netta?" Brittany asked with natural curiosity, peeking over her sister's shoulders. It looked like some kind of spaceship.

"A concept car hybrid that runs on corn oil and solar power, and helps to create fewer pollutants in the air so people with asthma can breathe."

Brittany gave her a strange look. "Okay…" She picked at the salad and noticed the food on Theodore's tray almost completely gone. Except for the churros. Her mouth watered, almost tasting the sugary stick. But she stopped herself, firmly reminding herself that cheerleaders do not eat sugary, cavity-inducing Spanish donuts. Ever.

But it did look pretty good. From a distance, anyway.

"Um, hey, Brittany?"

Brittany turned to find Vanessa, a new edition to the cheerleading team, standing in front of her with a tray of the near-exact things on it (the salad had dressing, and there were celery sticks in a little cup, not fruit). Brittany thought she was kind of young, being only a sophomore, and Brittany being her junior year trainer. But she was cool with her, as long as she didn't try to take over her spot on the cheer squad-and her popularity. "What up, V?"

Vanessa said quietly, "Um, nothing. I was wondering if you could help me on this one cheer. I'm kinda lost on it. Can you help after school?"

Brittany nodded. "Meet me at my house after school, okay?"

Vanessa smiled and thanked her, hurrying away to her sophomore table

Brittany sighed. "Poor little sophomore…"

Then she noticed Theodore frozen in place, as if he'd see a ghost. Then a blush crept over his cheeks, and he still didn't move.

_What's up with him_ now_?_

Simon waved a hand over his little brother's gawking face. "Theo? Hello? Earth to Theo?" When he snapped his fingers, Theodore pulled himself out of his hypnotic state.

"Who was that?" Theodore asked, still gazing in the direction of the dark-haired beauty.

"Oh, that's Vanessa," Brittany said, casually, forcing a leafy fork into her mouth. "She's a new sophomore."

Theodore sighed, leaning his head on one hand. "Vanessa…"

"Dude, you like her?" Alvin commented, raising an eyebrow. "She's cute, but she looks kinda young…"

"She's only a year behind us, Alvin," Brittany said, playing with her phone.

Both of Alvin's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously? Then go for it, Theo."

Theodore perked up. "Really? She might not like me, though…"

"You're a total teddy bear, Theodore," Eleanor piped up, smiling at him. "If you like her, then you should go and talk to her."

Brittany laughed once. "Please! It's a known fact that cheerleaders don't date people at the bottom of the social ladder. That would be suicide to a reputation. And that includes all grades of cheerleaders."

Theodore buried his face into his hands. "I'm so screwed."

Simon hesitated, but patted his brother's head. "It's okay, Theodore. You'll find someone that'll like you for you, not for your social status." He glared at Brittany, but she only shrugged and kept playing with her phone.

"Unless…"Theodore mumbled from behind his hands.

"What?" Simon asked curiously.

Theodore pulled his hands away from his face, beaming.

"Oh, God, Theodore's thinking," Alvin teased, grinning. His mind kept going in circles just in case he had to help his little brother out. "What're you thinking about?

Theodore grinned at Brittany. "Britt… you're the answer to my problem."

The others stared at him as if he were crazy.

"She is?" Alvin, Simon, Jeanette, and Eleanor all said simultaneously.

"I am?" Brittany asked nervously.

"Yeah, Britt. I know that you think I'm a complete loser, but what if you could mold me into your image?"

Brittany raised an eyebrow, confused. "What?"

"You know…transform me into your own."

Brittany knit her brows together, still not getting it.

Simon rolled his eyes. "What Theo means is that he wants you to make him popular. You know, so people will like him. Right, Theo?"

Theodore nodded excitedly.

"You mean, like an extreme makeover?" Brittany's eyes brightened at the thought.

Alvin nearly spit out his Cherry Coke. "No! No makeovers! Only girly-girls use the term 'makeover.'"

Brittany crossed her arms. "Then what should I call it, Alvin? 'Life Enhancement?'"

"Anything but the word 'makeover'…" he grumbled, taking another swig of his pop.

"Well, I'm putting the fate of my status into your hands, Brittany," Theodore said, coming to her side and kneeling in front of her. he took her hand and looked pleadingly into her eyes. "Will you make me popular and help me to win the heart of Vanessa? Please?"

A few students looked over and noticed Theodore in this awkward position, but since Theo's back was turned, he didn't realize it.

"Okay, I'll do it," Brittany said, nervously laughing and turning pink. "Just go back to your seat. People are starting to think you're proposing to me."

Theodore smiled at the idea, but went back to his seat obediently. He stared at his new mentor in anticipation. "So, what do I do first, Lovely, Controlling One?"

Brittany kind of liked the sound of that. Like she was hot, yet totally bad-ass. It was perfect. And she knew what she wanted to do first… "Let me have one of those."

She pointed to one of the untouched churros still sitting on the tray.

Theodore didn't hesitate to give the sweet treat to her. "I didn't know you liked churros, Britt."

"Neither did we," Jeanette said, giving Brittany a look as she gladly took her treat. "Since when did you like churros, Britt? And what does this have to do with Theodore?"

Brittany shrugged, preparing to take a big bite.

"You know, those churros are full of calories and sugar," Eleanor taunted. "You'd better be careful, Britt, or you'll mess up you cheerleader diet." She eyed the hardly-touched lunch still sitting on the tray in front of Brittany.

"I can always start fresh tomorrow." Screw the freakin' diet. She was gonna have her churro…and she was going to damn well enjoy it, too.

Brittany bit into the crispy donut. A taste of sugar, bread, sweetness, and verboten exploded over her taste buds. It was a perfect combination. And if he was going to commit to his work, she was going to work him harder than anything.

Molding guys sounded like hard work. Maybe she needed another churro…

**Vocab Words (just in case you had no idea what they meant and/or you were too lazy to get a dictionary):**

**Verboten: forbidden, banned**

**Churro: a long Spanish donut covered in sugar and occasionally has a filling inside (Delicious! Google it if you still have no idea what one looks like)**

**Yay! Now that that's out of the way, maybe I can get back to writing GEM Girlz. This, personally, sounded better in my head. But whatever. **

**Click that review button! Just look at it! It's so sparkly!**


	2. The Transformation

**Yay! Good news- I came back with another awesome chapter. I'm also extending this into a five-part story. Woohoo! Bad news- now that I'm back from Ohio, I now have to go to a family reunion in Mississippi and after that, my aunt's wedding in Georgia (So romantic!). So if I don't upload anything soon, I'm really sorry. I will find time after school to upload (Yes. When I return, I will have to start high school). So just enjoy anything I upload today.**

**Part 2**

The next three weeks were complete hell.

Theodore tried his hardest to keep his cool, following Brittany's constant orders and rants and lectures. Don't burp in front of the cheerleaders. Wear your hair this way and wear these clothes so you don't look like a total slob. Getting into certain sports doesn't make you too cool, but makes you cool enough to be recognized by a cheerleader. Don't pick at your teeth, touch your nose, sneeze, barf, fart, and so on. Trying to process and remember this information was like trying to juggle on a unicycle while baking a cake and singing the national anthem. It was virtually impossible.

Brittany wasn't doing any better. She was near pulling her hair out, she was so frustrated. Theodore asked so many questions, and he was so completely socially and physically inept. It was like he had no other skills than eating and cooking. She was going to be bopped to the bottom instead of the top if she didn't figure out anything to convince her friends and that Vanessa chick that Theo was some super-hot transfer student or something. How is he such an amazing singer but can't even hold a lacrosse stick the right way? It just went to show that not all guys were good at sports.

It was hard, but thanks to early-morning jogs around the park, a strict diet, enrollment into the school's under-appreciated volleyball team, and serious encouragement from friends and siblings alike, it was time for his debut appearance.

"Where the heck are they?" Brittany paced at the foot of the Chipmunks' stairs, checking her orchid-colored watch for the billionth time.

"I'm sure everything's fine, Britt," Eleanor said casually, playing Cooking Mama on her limited-edition green personalized Nintendo DS.

"But I sent them up there 90 minutes ago," Brittany replied, continuously pacing. "They should be down by now."

"Wow, you counted the minutes? I'm surprised, Britt," Jeanette teased, peeking at her over her glasses as she finished her science homework .

Brittany glared at her. "This is not the time for jokes, Netta. This is a matter of life and death. Both our social statuses are on the line here. If he doesn't ace this, he will be a social outcast, and I'll end up working in the drive-thru at McDonald's."

"Uh, yeah, I think I want fries with that," Eleanor joked, smirking behind the game.

Jeanette giggled, then continued chewing her already-gnawed pencil.

Brittany rolled her eyes and stared up the staircase in anticipation.

Alvin and Simon came downstairs, wide grins on their faces.

Brittany rushed to them, gripping Alvin's shirt. "Oh my God, what have you two done to him? Is he okay? Did everything fit? Is he nervous? Maybe I should go check on him…"

"Whoa, calm down. He's not dying," Alvin said, pulling Brittany off him.

"But he looks a lot better," Simon added eagerly.

Brittany noticed the grins on their faces and raised an eyebrow. "What are you two-"

"Come on down, Theo!" the two boys called to the top of the stairs.

As soon as he stepped out of the shadows, Brittany gasped.

She had never seen someone so… beautiful.

He came downstairs in the brown jacket, green t-shirt, and jeans that Brittany had gotten him on the shopping trip that she'd dragged him on. His hair was ruffled slightly. The look on his face said, _I just rolled out of bed, but I still look hot_ (which, in this case, was pretty true, since Brittany had woken them up at 6:30 that morning to put his look together. Dave had left half an hour earlier than that to go to work). His face was thinner, and his shirt and jacket actually made him look more muscular than he actually was (though she made him do practically a hundred sit-ups a day to flatten out the excess weight in his stomach).

She didn't believe it could be done. She actually had serious doubts. But she had done it.

He was actually…hot.

Her sisters must've been thinking the same thing, because Jeanette unknowingly snapped the pencil in her mouth in half, and Eleanor didn't even notice that her steak was burning, even when Mama got mad.

The boys grinned proudly at their handiwork.

"So, whatcha think?" Alvin asked, putting an elbow on Theodore's shoulder.

"Uh…." The three girls didn't necessarily know how to answer the question. They were still gawking at the transformed boy in front of them.

Simon snickered. "Judging by the way they're drooling, I think we did a pretty good job."

Alvin nodded contently, smirking. "Yep, I would say so, too."

Brittany was the first one to snap out of it. "Please, Alvin. Like I would drool over my client. Especially your brother."

"Riiiight." Alvin rolled his eyes mischievously.

Theodore looked a little hurt by the comment, but tried to shake it off.

"Are you sure you didn't lock your brother in a closet somewhere and bring his hot second cousin or something?" Eleanor said faintly, still entranced.

"Yeah, 'cause he's really cute," Jeanette echoed, gazing at Theodore.

The two Chipmunks' smirks faded, feelings of insecurity taking over. Maybe they were a little _too_ good…

"So, are you ready to go, Theo?" Brittany grabbed her purse and backpack off the floor and turned for the door.

"Britt?"

Brittany turned and saw Theodore coming toward her. She gently pushed her bangs out of her face. "What is it-"

She was interrupted by Theodore, who wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She found herself staring up at him. _How did he get so tall?_

"Thank you, Britt," Theodore whispered into her ear. "This means a lot to me. I really hope we're still good friends."

Brittany gave him a confused glare. "As opposed to…"

Theodore chuckled and pulled her closer to him.

"Theo…I…um…" Brittany found herself breathing in the light scent of his cologne (No doubt borrowed from Alvin) and feeling the gentle ridges of his now-sculpted chest that was covered by his shirt. He felt so warm, so strong, so…amazing….

"Okay, that's enough!" Brittany said shakily, pulling away from him and trying to shake a claustrophobic feeling that crept up her spine. The way he held her was _way _too close. "Let's just go, okay? I don't need to be late for school again." She grabbed Theodore's wrist and pulled him out the door.

The others followed them out the door.

As they left, Alvin leaned into Eleanor and whispered, "You really think he's that hot?"

Eleanor rolled her eyes and walked ahead.

"What?" he yelled, following her.

* * *

"Okay, this is your final test," Brittany said when they got to school. "Relax. This is not too bad. Just stick by me. If anyone does or says anything offending, don't do anything. Don't flinch, don't shake your fist, and don't even have the slightest temptation of flipping them off. Just keep going. Don't trip over you feet. I know you have coordination problems, but try not to take it out on your face, okay? Just stare straight ahead and look cool."

Theodore nodded automatically, and Brittany could tell that everything was trying to sink in.

"Here we go. Ready?"

Theodore nodded again, too fearful to speak.

Brittany took a deep breath and linked her arm through Theodore's. "One… Two…"

Instead of saying three, Brittany pushed the doors open and the two walked down the hall at the same time.

Everyone looked at Brittany, which was typical... but some did a double take on the guy that was next to her.

Especially the girls.

"OMG, who is that?"

"I don't know. Is he an exchange student or something?"

"Whoever he is, he is _hot._"

"I know, right? He's totally cute. He has to be from some other school."

Brittany smirked. It was definitely working. Students couldn't take their eyes off the couple.

As soon as they got to their lockers, the two burst into fits of giggles.

"That was a pretty awesome feeling," Theodore said, beaming.

"Yeah. Did you see those freshmen? They couldn't stop staring!" Brittany laughed.

Theodore stopped laughing and stared at her with affectionate eyes. "Yeah. I know the feeling…."

Brittany stopped too and noticed this, hoping he didn't mean what she thought he meant.

She blushed at the compliment, anyway, running her fingers through her hair in slight embarrassment. She smiled, and felt relief when he smiled back.

Something in his smile comforted her…

Brittany blinked. What was she doing? She scoffed, rolling her eyes to her locker and pretending to be busy with her locker combination. When she finally got it open after fumbling with it for a few minutes, she hid her burning face behind the locker door and unnervingly pulled her books out. _What are you doing? You cannot flirt with him. Not after how far you've gone to dress him up for some other girl. He wants _her_, not you._

That last thought didn't do much to comfort her.

* * *

"Well, Theodore, I'm certainly…impressed," Amanda giggled later at cooking class, watching him whisk the batter and pour it into a cooking pan. "You're definitely one of the best of all my students.

_Best-_looking _is what she means_, Brittany thought bitterly as she watched all the females in class swoon over the new Theodore, having a very sudden interest in his cooking. Even the teacher flirted it up with him, gaping with overenthusiastic expressions on her face. She tried to have Theodore teach for the class, hoping that he would help with cutting onions and other things that involved standing close to him.

It was pathetic, and she was sure the burly football players were on her side as well. She could tell by the way that they gave Theodore threatening looks.

He didn't care. He seemed to be having the time of his life.

Brittany couldn't get out of that class fast enough. She was thoroughly disgusted, but she didn't know why. But whatever was riding up her pink skirt, it had better get out fast.

"Brittany?"

"WHAT?" Brittany lashed out. She realized that it was Theodore, and lowered her voice. "Oh. Hey, Theodore. What is it?"

"I was just wondering why you ran out like that." Theodore widened his eyes to show his concern. "You never do that unless you're really… well…pissed."

Brittany turned away from him, her nose defiantly in the air. Now was not the time to break down. "It's time to test your social skills at lunch. Come." She walked to the cafeteria entrance.

Theodore followed, not sure how this answered his question, but curious as to how this fit in with training.

"See those cheerleaders over there?" Brittany asked, pointing to a table that had a few juniors in their uniforms.

"Yes," Theodore answered, looking around for Vanessa.

"Try to get at least five phone numbers," Brittany said, gently pushing him along. "Remember what I taught you."

Theodore nodded, taking yoga breaths that Brittany showed him to calm his nerves, then casually strutted into the lunchroom.

Brittany noticed that the room had been reduced to only a few scattered murmurs. She snuck in, grabbing the usual chicken salad and fruit cup, but this time grabbing a regular Coke from the vending machine and even daring to get a Snickers bar as well.

She slid in next to Jeanette at their table and sneaked a peek at the table. "How do you think it's going so far?"

"Are you seriously going to eat that?" Alvin teased, pointing to the candy bar on her tray.

Brittany answered the question by unwrapping the Snickers and happily taking a bite. She moaned contently.

Alvin raised an eyebrow at her behavior. "You're crazy. You know that?"

"Thanks," Brittany replied, washing it down with the Coke.

Theodore came to the table wordlessly.

Brittany gave him a look. "What happened?"

He pulled out lipstick-stained napkins, colorful, torn pieces of paper, and even pulled both of the sleeves of his jacket up.

All had different numbers, all from different girls.

"Wow," Alvin said as he stared at the different numbers.

Brittany looked through the different materials and even examined the pink and purple Sharpie on his suntanned arms. "What did you do, throw yourself at them?"

"Everything but," Theodore chuckled, giving her a proud smile. "So, how did I do, my Beautifully Evil Mistress?"

Brittany grinned at the pet name. "I have to say, I'm pretty impressed, Theodore. You did well for your first test."

Theodore beamed. "Really? You think so? Do I have what it takes to woo Vanessa now?"

Brittany didn't want to answer that question. She didn't like thinking about the fact that Vanessa would be with him. For some reason, Britt didn't want to hand Theo over so easily…

"Britt?"

"Hmm?" she hummed, lost in thought.

"You okay?" Theodore asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

His touch mad her spine tingle, and she wiggled away from him to avoid the sensation. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. I-I… Excuse me…"

She ran out of the cafeteria, trying to get her thoughts together. She tried to catch her breath as she leaned on the door frame, panting. She could feel anxiety and uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. Was it her imagination…or was she just going insane?

She came out here all because she was uneasy about Vanessa and Theodore.

Brittany sighed. _Where's a drink when you need one?_

"Britt, what's wrong?" Theodore asked, coming out of the cafeteria. He stared at her with worry in his innocent green eyes.

She turned away from his gaze. "Nothing. Just needed some air. It was getting hot in there."

"Oh, okay," Theodore said solemnly, reaching out to her.

She withered away from him, even though secretly she appreciated that he cared.

"Hey, guys. What's up?"

Theodore froze and stammered.

Brittany pursed her lips. "Hey, V."

"Is he going to be okay?" Vanessa asked Brittany, staring at them with a sweet smile on her face. She pointed at Theodore, who was still babbling.

Brittany gave her a tight smile. "He's fine. He's just a little…startled." As soon as she said "startled," she elbowed Theodore to stop him from gawking.

"Oh." Vanessa nodded, eyeing Theodore like a lion would size up a gazelle. "Well, I didn't think that Theodore was the…popular type."

Brittany smiled pridefully, putting an arm around the still-gawking and blushing Chipmunk. "Yep. He's my little protégé. I'm molding him into the popular image."

Vanessa grinned at him. "Yeah, I think you did a pretty good job."

Brittany gave her a wide false grin.

"Can I have a minute alone with Theodore for a sec?"

Brittany faltered a little, but stepped back into the cafeteria reluctantly, going back to her table.

"What's with you?" Alvin asked, noticing the discomfort on her face.

"Nothing," she lied, gnawing the Snickers on her tray sadly.

Jeanette reached out to her melancholy sister, but Brittany pulled away. She didn't need the sympathy.

She waited for Theodore to come, severely hoping that he would turn her down. Just in case V asked him out.

Which she wouldn't.

She hoped.

Her hope wasn't enough, because almost automatically Theodore came back to the table with an ear-to-ear grin, a bright pink lipstick stain on his left cheek, and a neatly folded, violet-colored Post-It clutched in his hand.

Brittany felt the urge to vomit that bite of Snickers she just took. "Don't tell me…"

"She told me to call her tonight and ask what time I should pick her up for the movies," Theodore said in an excited voice.

The whole table cheered. Except for one particular Chipette...

"Way to go, Theo," Jeanette said.

"That's awesome, Theodore!" Eleanor chirped.

"That's really great," Simon agreed.

"Awesome, dude!" Alvin encouraged, slapping Theodore on the back. "Congrats on your first date with a real girl."

Theodore knit his brows. "As opposed to…"

"Hey! I was his first girlfriend," Eleanor said, looking at Alvin offensively. "Are you saying I'm not a real girl?"

Alvin blushed, starting to babble, flustered. "Well… it's not like… I just meant… uh…"

Eleanor gave him a look that said, _Just drop it, but we'll talk about it later._

Alvin gladly shut himself up.

As they all congratulated Theodore, Brittany sank lower in her chair, a scowl settling on her face. She knew she should be happy for him, but couldn't bring herself to be glad. In fact, she was a little angry at him for taking it. What was so great about that underdeveloped sophomore anyway? She knew she had better curves than her. She knew she was better than her in all areas, especially cheerleading. How dare she make a move on him. How dare she even _think_ about him. Why couldn't she get the message that he was hers…?

Brittany blinked. That last one had caught her a little off guard. But it didn't matter anyway. That sophomore already had him wrapped around her finger, anyway. He shouldn't matter, anyway. He was just some junior lowlife-turned-Abercrombie hottie. An old friend she helped out of the goodness of her heart. That's all. Nothing else.

Unless…

"Brittany? Are you sure you're okay? You look a little out of it."

Brittany looked up at Theodore, who was still standing next to her with his wide eyes and stretched torso… "Yeah, I'm fine. And I'm really happy for you, Theo. Really, I am."

Theodore smiled at her genuinely. "Thanks, Britt."

Brittany mustered up the most authentic smile she could. "No problem, Theo."

They kept their eyes on each other until Theodore reluctantly went to his seat next to Simon.

Brittany watched him a little while longer, then looked away and realized that her Snickers was gone. She snuck away to the vending machine to get another one.

**Man, Britt's falling pretty hard for Theo. I really hope they end up together. Oh, wait. I wrote this. **

**Will they end up together? Will Brittany drown herself in comfort food first? Will I have a great time at my events next week? **

**To be continued...**

**(I hate when TV programs do that. Did they not already tell us in commercials that the episode was going to be into two parts already? Almost as annoying as when they announce a winner after the commercial break**. **Okay, now I must be boring you. Review while I'm away! Click if you love Snickers!)**


	3. Good Boy, Bad Girls

**Now you can see why it's rated T... :)**

**Part 3**

Brittany trudged into the house slowly and carefully, yanking her elastic out of her ponytail and letting her hair hang down her back.

Cheer practice had been brutal, especially since Monique, the most cruel and tyrannical person since Hitler (and her sworn enemy), had taken over when Muffy, the team captain, was out sick. She demanded that she run around the track course five times before joining her fellow cheerleaders. And it didn't stop there. Monique made them do the same cheers over and over to get them right. She had even ordered that they run up and down the bleachers ten times to "build muscle." She wished she had punched her right then and there.

But she was too tired to even lift a finger.

Brittany groaned and managed to drag her feet to the kitchen, where she rummaged through the fridge and found an ice-cold bottle of vitamin water. She took a sip of the strawberry-infused drink, and then, on a second thought, pressed it on her aching lower back.

She exhaled. Much better.

There was a knock on the door. Brittany groaned again and stomped to the door, feeling a burning sensation in every part of her body. She unlocked the door and thrust it open. "WHAT?"

Theodore backed away, holding his hands up. "Uh, is this a bad time?"

_Oh my God,_ Brittany thought, widening her ice-blue eyes. _Really bad timing!_ Brittany managed to smile and say, "Hi, Theodore. What brings you here?"

Theodore eyed her up and down, blushing. "Are you sure this isn't a bad time?"

Brittany suddenly felt heat rush to her cheeks as well, realizing that she was still dressed in her hot pink sports bra and black shorts from cheer practice. "Oh, uh, I just got home from cheer practice and hadn't had a chance to change."

"Maybe I should come back later…" Theodore started to leave.

"N-no! No. W-why don't you come inside?" Brittany dragged him into the house before he could respond and sat him at the table in the kitchen.

"So, what do you need, Theo?" Brittany asked, sliding into a bar stool near the island. She casually took a sip of her vitamin water, but she was suddenly very aware that she was practically half-naked. The fact that Theodore was in her kitchen seeing her half-naked didn't help.

Theodore seemed very aware of it as well, because his eyes were very fixed on her tanned torso. "Uh, well, I was wondering if-"

"If what?" Brittany asked sweetly, giving him an innocent smile.

Theodore stammered. "Uhhhh…"

"Would you like something to drink?" Brittany tried to get off the stool gracefully, but fell to the floor instead. She moaned, pain surging through her bruised shoulders.

"Britt, are you okay?" Theodore asked, getting out of his seat to help her up.

"Just… peachy," Brittany grumbled spitefully, grabbing Theodore's hand. He pulled her to her feet.

"Thanks," Brittany said.

Theodore smiled. "No problem."

Brittany felt Theodore's hand grip hers. They both let go, turning red and nervously chuckling.

Another pain shot through Brittany's shoulder, and she yelped, gripping it.

Theodore widened his eyes. "What is it?"

"My shoulder," she answered thru gritted teeth, rubbing the sore spot on her shoulder blade. She moaned a little, rolling it. "I'm sorry, Theo. Cheer practice wasn't necessarily forgiving on my body, if you know what I mean."

Theodore nodded. "I can help."

Brittany raised her eyebrows. "Seriously? How?"

Theodore stepped behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Alvin taught me a few massage tricks when your training kept pulling some muscles."

"Oh." Brittany couldn't help but notice that his hands felt warm on her skin. "Well, go ahead. Teach me something."

Theodore laughed a little, then began to gently rub her shoulders.

Brittany bit her lip. "That feels really nice…"

Theodore gave her a dreamy smile and gently circled his thumbs on her shoulder blades.

Brittany groaned softly, closing her eyes. Then she stopped, stiffening a little. Theodore noticed this and dug a little harder into her shoulders.

_This is strictly friend helping friend,_ Brittany thought gently, trying not to hyperventilate when his fingers went underneath her bra strap. _He's just a friend helping me with shoulder cramps. He used to be fat. He has a girlfriend now. Do not fall for him. Do not fall for him. Do not fall for him…_

Brittany cried out when her lower back cramped.

Theodore took his hands off her. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," Brittany squeaked, her voice an octave higher. "My back just really hurts. Can you fix it for me?" Brittany looked into his eyes pleadingly, giving him a coy little smile. So she was being a _teeny_ bit overdramatic. So sue her.

Theodore caught on quickly, giving her a flirty smile of his own. "Sure. Anything, Britt."

Brittany turned back around. Theodore stepped a little closer to her this time, moving his hands to her back.

It was harder to ignore the things she was feeling at this moment, especially when Theodore was digging his palms into her lower back. Her breathing became harder. _I don't want him… I don't want him…_

She could feel him press against her, his breath burning hot against her ear. She held her breath. _I don't want him…_

Theodore rubbed her hips slowly. Her drifting state of mind increased.

_I want him…I_ really _want him…_

Brittany turned around, wrapping his arms around Theodore and crashing her strawberry-glossed lips into his.

At first, Theodore pulled back a little in surprise, but as she coaxed him, he gently pushed her against the counter, deepening their embrace. Brittany groaned, her tongue slipping into his mouth. He gently rubbed her thigh in response.

_This is bad,_ she thought as she ran her fingers through his hair, _really bad. But, I just can't stop. He just feels so great…_

_I can't believe I'm making out with the hottest girl in school,_ Theodore sighed as he took in the soft scent of her perfume and the taste of her lip gloss. _And I think she's hitting on me. This is my dream come true. I wonder what Vanessa would think if she saw…_

_Vanessa!_

Theodore put his hands on her shoulders and gently pulled her away. Brittany managed to get in one more kiss before he pulled her off.

"What's wrong, Theo? Can't take the heat?" Brittany purred, twirling a lock of his hair around her finger. Her heart fluttered inside her chest, and her tongue itched inside her mouth, waiting for his response.

Theodore sighed. "I can't do this, Britt."

Brittany giggled sensually, pulling Theodore closer. "It's okay, I can show you. All you do is just put your lips like this…"

"No, Britt, I'm serious," Theodore said, pushing her away. He gazed at her with yearning eyes. "I can't do this. I have a girlfriend. It…it wouldn't be right."

Brittany returned his gaze with a lustful one. "You don't have to be with her. You could have any girl in this whole school. You could even have me, if you play your cards right…" While she said it, she pressed herself against him, sneaking her small hand up his shirt.

Theodore stepped away. "Brittany, no-"

When his phone rang in his pocket, Theodore gave her a slightly angry look before pulling it out of his pocket and answering it. A smile broke across his face as he cooed into the phone, "Hey, V, how are you doing?"

Brittany turned away, slinking to the fridge and opening the door, giving him some privacy.

But not much. She could still hear him laughing into the phone, murmuring sweet nothings back into the phone to his girlfriend. Not even the loud defective hum of the old-fashioned refrigerator could block it out.

She wanted to puke.

Theodore and Vanessa had been the It couple of the school for two weeks now, and it made her sick to watch him flirt with her. He carried her books, gave her anything he cooked in Foods, and gave her all his attention. And by the way she flirted with him; Brittany could tell that she loved the attention of the newborn hottie.

Brittany could feel a chill coming through her spine and closed the fridge. By that time, Theodore was hanging up.

For a second, she could see a petite brunette figure staring blankly through her window, a hateful gaze thrown directly at her…

But then, she was gone.

Theodore turned to her. "Sorry, Britt, but I have to go."

Brittany felt her stomach lurch. "What? Why? You just got here."

"Oh, I meant to tell you that I wanted to cancel our session for today because I had a date with Vanessa," Theodore said casually, picking up his backpack.

Brittany gulped, a pit of despair and disappointment forming in the back of her throat, choking her words. "Oh. Okay. I mean, I guess we can work on our project some other time then." She pursed her lips, trying not to look disappointed.

But it showed all over her face.

Theodore noticed this and instantly felt bad for cancelling. He owed her so much for what she had done, and how does he repay her? By blowing her off in a jerky, Alvin-like way. He softened, pulling her into a hug. "Hey, look, Britt, I'm sorry, okay? I promise I'll make it up to you later. Maybe I can cancel and we can stay here and do whatever you want. How does that sound?"

_That sounded a little better,_ Brittany thought as she hugged him back. And she knew what she wanted to do first that had nothing to do with the project and everything to do with getting extra cozy with him on the couch…

Brittany closed her eyes, trying to get the naughty thought out of her head. He was her ex's brother after all, albeit a new and improved version, formerly a shy, sensitive loser that disappeared in the crowd. She had promised Alvin that she wouldn't pull any mind tricks on him. But she couldn't help herself. After all, he did look extra sexy in his caramel-colored leather jacket today. And his chest just felt so warm and soft…

Theodore pulled himself away from her slowly and cautiously, trying to decide whether he should stay or go. "Well…um, I guess I should get going, then."

Brittany instantly felt a chill as soon as his body heat was out of her reach. Just like her relationship with him. "Yeah, you should. Thanks for the massage. I really needed it."

Theodore gave her a small smile. "No problem, Britt." He turned to go out the door…but not before giving Brittany a soft, gentle kiss on her cheek. She smelled like apple blossoms, he noted. "Uh…see you at school Monday."

"Bye," Brittany murmured, her cheek tingling from the gentleness of his lips. After she closed the door behind him, she slid down the door and slumped to the floor in a lovesick heap, replaying the last events in her head over and over, wishing that she could relive the last fifteen minutes of her life again.

* * *

"This has been the best date ever," Vanessa cooed as Theodore walked her home that evening after dinner.

Theodore sighed as he put an arm around Vanessa. He was really glad that Vanessa had had a great time with him and all, but something deep in his gut told him that he was walking home with his arm around the wrong girl. His thoughts often drifted around Brittany, how her blue eyes sparkled whenever she was excited or happy or mad, how her soft auburn hair flowed in loose, carefree curls down her back, and even how guilty he had felt when he had ended up making out with Brittany when he was over her house. Even though he didn't feel that guilty…

It was her fault that she looked way too cute in that sports bra.

Theodore sighed. He shouldn't be thinking about other girls out when he was with his girlfriend, but he couldn't help it. Brittany was really beautiful…

…and so was Vanessa. Especially when she curled up under his arm and purred, "Can we go see your room?"

Theodore widened his eyes. Why did she need to see his room? "Uhh…I guess so. Why?"

Vanessa giggled. "You'll see. Come on." As she dragged him down the street, Theodore wondered what she wanted to do when they got to his room. Although he had a pretty vague idea what it was…

When they got to his house, he unlocked the door as stealthily and as quietly as he could. He knew he should have gotten home earlier, but when else was he going to have time with his girlfriend? The house was quiet and still, and he knew that his family had probably gone to sleep already.

Theodore led Vanessa down to the door at the end of the hall, and opened it as quietly as he could, letting her into his room.

"This is an interesting room," Vanessa said, looking around. "I love it!" She giddily jumped on the bed.

"Shhh! Stop it!" Theodore pulled the bouncing girl down and stared into her eyes. "Dave and my brothers can't know you're here. If they knew I brought a girl here after dark, they would…"

Vanessa stared lustfully at him, creating a hypnotic spell on him. She leaned closer.

"They would…" Theodore tried again. Vanessa leaned closer.

"Th..They…would…" Theodore was entranced by her beauty in the glow in the moonlight. She leaned into him even further, and planted her lips on top of hers.

The kiss was intoxicating, and he couldn't focus. He leaned deeper into her, and their kiss became fast and desperate, him rubbing her waist, her tugging on his clothes.

After what seemed like forever, they came up for air.

Vanessa panted, pawing at his shirt. "Do you know what I want to do right now?"

Theodore nodded, trying to catch his breath. "I have a pretty good idea…"

And they kissed frantically again, leaning back onto his soft sheets, Theodore forgetting all about Brittany.

* * *

The next day, Brittany sat in her bed, rethinking about what had happened yesterday afternoon. Usually, on a Saturday like this, she would be out with her friends, hanging out, drinking smoothies, maxing out their credit cards, and flirting and giggling about the cutest guys that were at the mall.

But the only guy she could think about was Theodore.

She still couldn't believe that what had happened yesterday had…happened.

And the worst part?

She didn't feel any guilt or nausea at all.

Before the transformation, ever since she had met Theodore, she had thought he was a lost cause. He was the roundest, shyest, most uncoordinated boy she had ever met. She had shunned him at school. She laughed with her friends whenever he was being humiliated, even though she tried to apologize to him for his behavior to clear her guilty conscience. She pelted him with pennies with all the other juniors and seniors, even though Theodore and Brittany had both been freshmen at the time. She made sure no one ever saw her with him, or assumed she affiliated with him. And she made sure, of no circumstances, that she would never, ever, E-VER, fall for the chipmunk.

Well, look at her now.

Theodore was obviously a transformed guy now. He was no longer that under-self-confident, timid, overweight butterball he used to be. Now he was the self-assured, bold hottie he always wanted to be. She had made him into this beautiful god. She had created the perfect boyfriend. He might as well have come in an instant mix box that said, _Insta-Boyfriend! Just add cuteness, strength, and a little bit of water!_

Now she knew how Barbie felt when she met Ken.

Brittany turned over in her bed and buried her face into the nearest pillow and emitted a muffled scream, biting the pillow in frustration. _Why did he have to like Vanessa? Why? I'm better! I'm hotter! I'm sexier! Why can't I have a piece of him? Does he not like me anymore? Does he think I'm a freak? Is he freaked out from yesterday? WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?_

Brittany's blue eyes peeked out from behind the pillow to stare at her headboard. Pictures were glued to it, memories over the years flooding back. Brittany remembered taking some of them while they were training Theodore to be a girl magnet. There was the "Before" picture that she had taken as soon as she had started the three-week program, his shirt looking slightly bulgy and his jeans looking three sizes too tight. His pudgy face stared back at her with blankness in his forest-green eyes. Several pictures had been taken after that, including a picture of Theodore huffing down the street in a tracksuit, his face red and blotchy; a picture of Brittany barking at Theodore as he struggled to lift weights; a picture of Brittany tossing at least ten pounds of junk food into a dumpster, while Theodore looked on with sadness in his plate-sized eyes. And she definitely remembered getting frustrated at Theodore as he tried to jump rope, but had given up when he tripped over the rope at fifty jumps in a row. He'd thrown the rope at her and started to cry when she'd screamed at him to, quote-unquote, "get your fat ass up and finish the hundred jumps already!"

"_B-but," he blubbered as he sat on the ground, staring at his pudgy hands, "I can't do this, Brittany! This is s-so h-h-hopeless! I sh-should just give up already! N-no girl is e-ever g-going to like me! Ever!"_

"_Not when you're slumped over on the ground like a gumdrop!" Brittany yelled over him, blowing her whistle a billion times in his face. "Don't give up so easily, Theodore! Get up and be a man!"_

"_B-But I-I c-can't d-do it!" His shoulders shook as he talked, tears streaking his face._

_Brittany rolled her eyes at his drama-queen behavior. "No one ever gives up on me, Theodore! I haven't given up on you, haven't I? I'm still here, right?"_

_Theodore sniffled. "Y-yeah, I guess so…"_

"_Well, then you shouldn't give up on yourself, Teddy!" Brittany insisted, leaning down and putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I believe in you. And you should, too. Please, Theodore. Do this for Vanessa. Do it for your health. Do it…do it… for me."_

_Theodore stared into her sky-blue eyes, searching for mischief, a trick, a catch to this whole thing. But he saw nothing but sincerity. And she was almost never this sincere… He smiled through his tear-stricken face. "I'll do it!" He sprang up and picked up the jump rope, taking deep breaths before beginning to jump rope again._

_And Brittany stared on, an encouraging smile on her face._

Brittany skipped all the way down the list of photos to the "After" shot she had taken the day after his debut. She had taken it for reference, just in case she did another makeover, but she had mostly taken it because she wanted to hang it up and stare at it all day. She gently kissed the photo of the muscular, adorable, sun-kissed boy in front of her, creating a glossy lipstick mark that circled around his torso.

She stared at the photo, enchanted by his handsomeness, his charisma, his amazingness. And she just couldn't stop thinking about the things that made him unique. His talent for cooking gourmet dishes without breaking a sweat, his raw singing talent (obviously), his sweet, innocent, caring nature. And she didn't want to get started on his amazing body…

Brittany blinked at the picture. She couldn't believe she had fallen so quickly – and so hard – for a guy before. Especially when that guy was Theodore. She snuggled back into her covers and buried her head into her pillow, fantasizing about what had happened yesterday. His hand sneaking up her leg, prickling her nerves. Her hands running through his hair and up his back. Him pressing her up against the counter, the cool marble boring into her back and sending excited tingles up her spine. His lips – oh, his lips – gently massaging hers, opening a little to admit her tongue inside his mouth…

She wanted to feel those sensations again. She wanted to feel his hands on her, his tender lips on hers, those tingles and shivers he gave her whenever he smiled or flirted or came in contact with her…

Brittany wanted it. Brittany _needed_ it.

And Brittany needed it_ badly_.

She sprang out of bed and rushed for her bedroom door, anxious to tell Theodore how she really felt. That she was ready for a real relationship, one that didn't have anything to do with being popular or pretty or anything about social status. She was ready to be a good girlfriend.

And she wouldn't stop till she got what she wanted.

**Ooh, some good drama's comin' up soon! And I apologize for the wait on this story. School's been totally hectic, and I haven't finished any of my new chapters yet! Hope to upload soon again! Peace! :)**


	4. Breakdown

**Welcome to the new year! Did you miss me? I know you did. Before we get started, I need to let you guys know a few things:**

**1.) Happy 2011! Just wanted to say that officially! :)**

**2.) Hope you guys had a great holiday season!**

**3.) Once again, I apologize for the wait. Failed attempts at holiday stories, the holiday season, and studying for finals this week have been slowing me down. Geez, I sound like a broken record.**

**4.) For anyone that really cares, it was my birthday on Jan. 9. I am now officially one year older. YAY! :)  
**

**5.) Check out my newly updated profile, w/ all the great new stuff about my personality.**

**Well, now that we've gotten that out of the way, please enjoy the much-anticipated climax to the story. R&R!  
**

**Part 4**

Brittany stood in front of Theodore's bedroom door at the Seville household, anxiously finger-combing her curls and rubbing her lips together to make sure her lip gloss was still thick and luscious on her lips. She couldn't wait to tell Theodore how much she changed; how much her heart ached when he wasn't around; how amazing he was; how handsome he was; and how everything about him made her heart flutter: his looks, the buttery soft leather jacket that accentuated his hair really well and have become a part of his character, the way he looked at her in admiration and awe of her beauty, the sweetness and ingenuity that made him adorable, his strong body, the way he smelled vaguely like cinnamon, the softness of his sweet, sweet lips…

Okay, so maybe she hadn't changed _all_ that much.

But she was willing to change for him, either way.

She caught her reflection in the hall mirror. A confident, beautiful female chipmunk stared back, with long, loose auburn ringlets, heart-shaped face, rosy cheeks, puffy, thickly-glossed lips, a pink button nose, and a blessed body that curved in all the right places. The Chipette winked and blew her doppelganger a kiss, and then turned back to the door. A feeling of excitement rushed through her. _This is it,_ she thought. _I'm going to tell him. I want him. I _need_ him. I have to have him. And if he didn't feel the same way…_

Brittany slyly snuck another peek at herself in the full-length mirror, smoothing her low-cut V-neck sweater against her chest and making sure her skinny jeans looked a lot tighter and butt-hugging than they actually were. _I have other ways of making him change his mind._

Brittany nodded contently, then turned back to the closed door and knocked on it three times. _Finally,_ she sighed. _Everything will be perfect…_

_

* * *

_

_Everything is definitely perfect,_ Theodore thought as he snuggled deeper into the covers of his bed with Vanessa, who was breathing evenly, fast asleep.

Theodore leaned back and stared at the ceiling, thinking about last night. He couldn't believe he'd had the guts to sneak his girlfriend into his room that night, let alone sleep with her. _But it was time,_ he told himself. _She was there, and we couldn't let the way we were feeling go. She wanted me, and…and I felt the same way._

But it wasn't convincing him.

Theodore knew all too well that his mind was still on her, with her beautiful ice-blue eyes, her sweet yet overwhelming aroma of designer perfume, long, shiny reddish-brown hair, pretty face, sleek body, slightly controlling nature…

Yep, that was the one.

He knew that it was way too hard to forget her. He knew that sleeping with another girl would never make him ignore the feelings he felt for her. It was too late to turn back, though. He'd already given his virginity to Vanessa, and he was pretty sure he had hers as well.

Vanessa gently groaned from underneath him, wrapping her arms around him. She reached up to kiss his neck. "Morning, Teddy."

Theodore smiled and nuzzled her cheek with his nose, his heart lifting a little. "Morning, V. did you sleep well?"

She grinned slyly and gave him a few pecks on his lips. "Best night ever…"

Theodore chuckled quietly, kissing back.

The innocent little pecks almost instantly turned into a passionate lip lock that, once again, made Theodore mull over whether he still wanted to think about Brittany or keep making out with his beautiful, loving, sweet, also naked girlfriend that was already in bed with him. Vanessa pulled away, panting, and began to gnaw at his neck. He couldn't catch his breath, and gently rubbed her back, encouraging her to go further. She accepted this and began to suck at his collarbone.

Theodore sighed and closed his eyes, his breathing hard_. Yeah…this feels right…I know it is. I shouldn't freak about this. But…what should I tell Brittany…?_

_Knock, knock._ "Theodore?"

Theodore's eyes popped open. That couldn't be…

Vanessa stopped kissing his chest and stared at her boyfriend with wide eyes. "What's wrong, Teddy?"

Theodore blinked. He was obviously hearing things. "I thought I heard…" He shook his head. "It was nothing. I just thought I heard -"

"Theo, are you in there?" _Knock._

Theodore stiffened. It _was_ her…

And she was actually in his house…

Outside his bedroom door.

While he was sitting in bed with his naked girlfriend.

The knocks became more impatient. "Theodore, I know you're in there. Dave told me you were in here before he left."

Theodore untangled himself from Vanessa and his sheets, and nearly fell out of bed as he started to scramble around for some clothes. He grabbed his boxers from yesterday off the floor and put them on.

Vanessa's pool-blue eyes glowed from her position as she stared at her frenzied boyfriend. "What are you doing?"

He ignored her as he dug a pair of dark-wash jeans out of his closet and forced his legs through them.

Her scolding voice turned into a soft plead. "Please, Theodore, let me in. I really need to talk to you…"

Theodore's blood rushed through his whole body as he zipped the fly and then proceeded to find a grey t-shirt in one of his dresser drawers. He pulled it over his bare, muscular chest and shoved his head through the hole. _Why am I so nervous?_ He thought as he nearly fell over trying to put his arms through the short sleeves. _Why is this such a big deal to me? I mean, it's not like I have to try and impress her or anything. She's just a friend. Just a friend. A friend with shiny hair, crystal-blue eyes, soft lips, and the sexiest body I've ever touched…_

"Theodore?"

Theodore shook his head, blushing. _No! I can't think about her like that. She's just a friend that helped me hook up with the prettiest sophomore I've ever seen…_

_Isn't that enough?_

"Theodore…?"

Theodore sighed._ I should be happy. I have everything I've ever wanted. For the first time in my entire life, I have popularity. I have the perfect body. I have girls chasing me almost as much as Alvin and Simon. I even have a steady girlfriend, with whom I had sex the night before…_

"The-o-dore…"

_So…why am I not happy?_

"Theodore!"

Theodore spun around and seemed to notice, for the first time in those few minutes, that Vanessa was still in the room, staring at him with curiously alluring dark blue eyes.

"Theodore, what are you doing?" she asked, giving him a sweet smile. "Is something the matter? And who's at your door?"

Theodore sighed again. He had never explained to her how Brittany and Theodore had ended up kissing in Brittany's kitchen…and he had hoped it would stay that way. But if Brittany was over his house, trying to say something to him, the secret wouldn't last too long.

So he did the thing he did best: act oblivious. "Uh…I don't know. But if someone's at the door, I should probably answer it, don't you think?"

"Yeah…" Vanessa's smile dimmed a little. "But are you sure you're okay? You're talking kind of fast and you seem all worked up just because someone's at the door."

"Uh… who knows?" Theodore shrugged. "It could be just a random person at the door or something."

Vanessa looked skeptical. "Okay…"

"Look, just stay quiet while I go out there, okay? Stay in the room."

Vanessa giggled, eyeing the three walls that separated the room from other rooms. "Okay, not much of a choice there." Then she batted her eyes. "But when you get back…I want to play a few games before I go home…" She winked and let the covers she was holding around her body slip a little on "accident."

But, to her disgust, his attention was diverted to the door.

He took a few breaths before darting out the door, leaving a cold, bare Vanessa all alone in his small room, in his small bed.

* * *

Theodore stumbled out of his bedroom, practically falling all over himself as he tripped over his feet and closed his bedroom door, nearly hitting Brittany in the process. He straightened up as quickly as he could, leaning against the door and trying to stop his flaming cheeks, rushed breath, and hammering heart.

It didn't work out in his favor too well, because, as he looked down at Brittany, her cheeks turned a cute shade of soft, shimmery rose, her lips were puffy and shiny and extremely kissable, her eyes had midnight-black eyeliner around it that made them look bigger and prettier, her hair was a little wind-blown but still shiny and bouncy and full of luster, and he just _happened_ to be in a pretty good spot to sneak a peek down her shirt…

Not that he was thinking about it. Much.

"H-hey, Brittany," Theodore murmured as he leaned against the door, taking in her figure, her gaze, the sweet, soft scent of vanilla that floated around her. "How are you doing?"

Brittany blinked, taken a little by surprise. She had been absorbing his image as well, noting his scarlet cheek color, the way his shirt stuck to his chest, accenting his muscles, the way he was leaning against the door suggestively, as if he wanted to grab her and shove her inside, the way he hooked his thumbs in his jeans pockets coolly, how his lips looked so soft and relaxed, and how his hair looked tousled and rough, as if he just woken up. Her speech about how she wanted to be with him, how she had changed, how much she was willing to give up to be with him, had wandered out of her mind as soon as she laid her eyes on him.

_He looks so amazing,_ Brittany thought, her tongue running over her teeth in her closed mouth. _Damn, why did he have to date her? Why couldn't he just lust over me like every other guy in school? But, I guess that's what happens when you create a Zac Efron clone overnight… _"Er, fine, I guess. How are you?"

"I'm fine." Theodore sighed, trying not to overly stare. "So, uh, how are things going?"

Brittany nodded awkwardly. "Great." She smiled softly. "Ha-have you been working on the project lately?"

He nodded contently. "Er… yeah. It's…it's coming along great."

She tucked a piece of her long hair behind her ears. "Yeah…Maybe I should come see it when it's done."

"Uh…maybe you can help me finish it. If you're not too busy, that is." He smiled.

"Maybe…" She bit her lip.

"Yeah…" he sighed.

"Yeah…" she murmured.

An awkward moment passed, their hearts pounding so hard they could hear it through their ears. But then, a small voice said quietly through the door, "Theodore…"

Theodore's scarlet cheeks turned beet-colored.

Brittany blinked, snapping out of her dreamy trance. "What was that?" She eyed the door.

"W-what was what?" Theodore said innocently, but as soon as he finished his sentence, a gentle moan floated from his room, followed by a lustful whisper, "Theodore…"

Brittany crinkled her brows. "That. Is…is someone in there, Theodore?"

"No! No. absolutely not, Britt-"

"Because if I'm interrupting something, I could go-"

"No! No, no, no, no, no. I…I think the TV might have accidentally come on in my room or something."

Brittany snorted. "Or something…"

Theodore heard another moan, and he gently opened the door. "J-just hold on a sec, o-okay?"

Brittany brushed her bangs out of her face. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. Can I come in?"

"NO!" Theodore said a little too loudly.

Brittany stepped back a little, holding up her hands. "Okay, sorry. I didn't know your room was such a secret."

Theodore shifted his gaze between the moaning door and the prettiest girl in the school, who was noticeably starry-eyed as she watched him. "Just…stay there." He hated to leave her so quickly. "BRB!"

And before Brittany could respond, he had opened the door, darted behind it while barely opening it, and slammed it in Brittany's heart-shaped face, all in one smooth motion.

* * *

"Vanessa!" Theodore hissed at his girlfriend, leaning behind the door in exasperation and giving her an annoyed glare. "What was that all about? It sounds like I have a ghost in my room."

"Sorry, but I was _so bored_," Vanessa yawned, leaning back on the pillows. "You were outside talking to _that girl_ for so long, and I'm getting cold without you to warm me up…" She gave a shiver. "This blanket is doing nothing for me." Vanessa gave him her flirtiest look, and dropped the part of the duvet that she used to cover her chest.

Not that Theodore was noticing her exposedness.

His mind was still drifting in the Sea of Brittany.

_She's so pretty…_ Theodore thought, smiling. _Especially when she's mad…_

"Theodore!"

Theodore blinked. Vanessa was crouched on the bed, grinning slyly. She patted the empty spot next to her. "Why don't you come back, Theodore? It's much warmer over here, with me…"

It was then that he noticed she was naked.

Theodore shrieked and scrambled around his room, trying to find her clothes. "Vanessa! You've got to cover yourself before Brittany sees! Here, put this on."

"Why?" Vanessa asked innocently, eyeing the T-shirt he threw in her direction.

"If Brittany finds out you're in here, things are not going to go well," Theodore explained quickly, pulling a pair of black lace panties from underneath his bed and putting them next to her, "and neither of us will live to turn 18, trust me."

"Oh, I think I can take her on," Vanessa said, chuckling and cracking her knuckles in a joking way. But Theodore didn't pay attention, as he pulled out a slinky black dress from behind his desk and tossed it toward her. Vanessa sighed and pulled the T-shirt over her head. "But, Theodore?"

Theodore had started back toward the door, and his hand was back on the knob. He turned to face her. "What is it, V?"

Vanessa pulled herself from under the covers and crouched seductively on the bed towards him. She crept on her hands and knees towards the edge of the bed. "You look… really…amazing. Are you sure you don't want to stay here?"

Theodore was, once again, mesmerized by her beauty. His hand slipped a little on the doorknob as he stared at her. "Uh…"

Vanessa got off the bed and sidled up next to him, making sure to grind her body against his in a catlike way. She stared at him with huge eyes.

Theodore gulped. _She did look really pretty_, he thought as her rubbing against her made him press against the door.

"You're not getting away that easily…" she purred into his ear gently, running her long fingers along his chest and through his hair. She began to stand on her tiptoes and pucker her candy-pink lips.

A small ache twisted in Theodore's heart, wanting what was behind the door he was leaning against, but also wanting what was in front of him.

The question on his mind was which did he want more: what was behind Door Number 1 or what was in front of Door Number 2?

Theodore gently grabbed Vanessa's shoulders and pulled her off. "Vanessa, I don't think we should…"

"But we must…" Vanessa whispered to him, leaning into him even more.

"But…I just….I don't think…" Theodore tried not to look at the eyes that seemed to freeze him and render him helpless. He sighed when he saw the growing disappointment on her face. He wanted to please her, but he also really wanted to at least talk to the beautiful Chipette on the other side of his door. "Look, maybe we should just take a step back and think about this…"

But before he could finish getting the words out, Vanessa had jumped him, causing both of them to tumble backwards, and the next thing he knew, he was lying in his doorway on his back, the door wide open, and staring at a surprised Brittany upside down.

Her surprise instantly tuned to boiling fury as she noticed the half-naked girl on top of him. "What the hell is _she_ doing here?"

"Uhhh…" Theodore chuckled nervously as he turned upright, shooing a shocked Vanessa off of him. "Surprise…"

Vanessa gave Brittany a bitter smile. "Hello, Britt. What brings you here?"

Brittany crossed her arms, several emotions flitting across her face until she settled for scarcely-suppressed anger. "I should be asking you the same thing, but…" She eyed the T-shirt that barely covered Vanessa's body. "…I don't even want to know. And don't call me Britt."

Vanessa's smile melted, an evil glare taking place.

Theodore rubbed the back of his head, trying to avoid the awkwardness of the situation. "Well, uh, it was nice having you here, Britt, but I think you should go-"

"I'm not going anywhere," Brittany snapped, not taking her flashing eyes away from Vanessa, who glared back.

Theodore's gaze shifted uncomfortably between the two girls. "Uh, Vanessa, maybe we should-"

"Why the hell are you here?" Brittany shouted at her, dropping her arms.

The mischievous smile reappeared on Vanessa's face as she put her hands on her hips. "I think you know why I'm here."

Brittany narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, please," Vanessa said, rolling her eyes. "Do you honestly think you have a chance with him? He's my boyfriend, not yours."

Brittany blinked. "What makes you think I was chasing after him?"

"Like everyone at school hasn't seen you drooling over him," Vanessa replied coolly, "and I know what you two did, so I've decided to take matters into my hands."

"What do you mean, you saw us?" Theodore asked, innocent concern laced into his gaze as he touched her arm. Brittany gripped her own wrist in jealousy.

"I mean I saw you two swapping tongues in her kitchen the other day when I was walking home," Vanessa sneered, pointing at Brittany.

Theodore's face turned crimson at her words. "I didn't-I mean, I wasn't… I mean, it wasn't like that-"

"Oh, really?" Vanessa snapped at him. "Then what do you call it when you're practically pushing another girl on the counter while you're kissing her, huh? Were you even thinking about my feelings when you were feeling her up? Hmmm? Answer me, Theodore!" When he looked away in shame, she continued, in a softer voice, "Finding that type of stuff out really hurts, Teddy. Did you think I wouldn't find out? Especially after what happened between us last night?" She stared at him with wide eyes.

Theodore swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "V, I…"

She shook her head miserably. "You know what? Just… forget it. We'll talk about it later." She glared at Brittany through narrowed eyes and mouthed _slut_ before striding back into the room and slamming the door.

"Wait, what did she mean when she said 'what happened between you last night'?" Brittany asked, her eyebrows crinkling in confusion.

Theodore's face burned. "Uh… well, uh… Vanessa and I…"

Brittany's eyes widened in realization. "Theodore…" she practically whispered, "please tell me you didn't…"

He took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry, Britt…"

Brittany stepped back, blinking back her tears. Before he could try to console her, she turned and rushed down the stairs, trying to get away. She heard him call her name, but she didn't turn back. She stumbled through the living room and hurriedly turned the doorknob, collapsing on the steps outside the door.

_Why?_ She thought angrily, swiping tears from her eyes before they fell. _Why did he have to sleep with her? How could he just use me like that? I've never felt so betrayed…_

Theodore burst from the door and onto the steps. "Britt!"

Brittany turned, her heart leaping at the fact that he came to her aid. However, her brain was thinking the opposite. She rolled her eyes, not wanting to seem weak. "What do you want, Theodore?"

Theodore's voice softened as he looked into her endless blue gaze. "I just wanted to see if you were okay-"

"And then what? Go and stab me in the back again with your precious little girlfriend?" Brittany mocked.

Theodore blinked. "Why would I do that?"

Brittany huffed. "Don't you get it, Theodore? She's just a sneaky little sophomore trying to get some just so she can tell her bitchy little sophomore friends that she did it with a junior. She's just trying to get popularity from you, to take over your life. You seem to be too stupid to figure it out yourself, so I have to spell it out for you. Why don't you just stop it right now before you hurt yourself?"

Theodore glared at her, his concern dissolving into anger. "Why are you taking your mistakes out on me?"

Brittany scoffed. "_My_ mistakes. _You're_ the one that made out with me and didn't tell about it. It's not like we did anything. Not like I'd do anything like that with you…"

"You know what, Brittany?" Theodore said sternly, his voice on the brink of yelling. "I'm tired of you yelling at me for nothing. I didn't do anything wrong-"

"Yes you did!" Brittany stood up quickly, whirling around to face Theodore. "How could you just kiss me and not feel anything for me? I know you still have feelings for me, Theo, and it makes me feel kind of betrayed that you would go behind my back and sleep with that…that…_lowlife_."

Theodore softened a little, his heart leaping. "Britt…"

Brittany held up a hand to silence him. "You know, Theodore, I kind of feel sorry for you. I mean, I won't be around to hold your hand all the time like Dave does. This may be a fantasy for you, but soon it's gonna come down into a hard reality, and you'll see that everyone's just using you. She really doesn't love you. All she wants is just a person to give her attention, to give her love and tell her she's pretty. She doesn't want you. All she sees is just some pathetic loser that's totally desperate to make a first impression."

Theodore's mouth twitched, and Brittany saw him clench and unclench his fists. "You don't know her…"

Brittany crossed her arms. "Neither do you. I know a lot more than you do. Look, I can take care of you. I can help you get out of this desperate mess. I can do all the things that she can and more. Remember…" She stepped closer to him until she was nearly touching his nose with hers, her heart stuttering, but her voice hard. "I made you, and I can take you apart. I was the one that created you, and she and I can take you out in a heartbeat. You should stop moving forward before something goes wrong and you end up depressed and alone."

Theodore and Brittany stared each other down, her words floating in the dense air. Finally, Theodore spoke. "You know nothing about her. You don't know how I feel about her-"

"Yes I do-" Brittany started, but Theodore abruptly cut her off.

"Let me finish." He took a shaky breath, and glared at her with strong disapproval, making Brittany suddenly uncomfortable. "I know I've been teased, taunted, used, abused, and a billion other degrading words, but I'm none of those things anymore. Because of you, I'm a more confident person. It helped me to do all of those things that I was never able to do before. I can talk to girls. I'm not thrown into the trash can by the football players anymore. I finally have the healthy lifestyle that I've always wanted." His eyes sparkled a little at all the changes, and Brittany almost smiled at his good mood…until his expression suddenly darkened. "But, now that I realize all the good things in my life, I also realized that only one person has been a major cause of all the bad things of my life… and that person's _you_."

Brittany crinkled her eyebrows, confused. "How so?"

Theodore pursed his lips together, making her shift in discomfort. "You always teased me around other girls. You threw pennies at me, which made me a target for bullies. And let's not forget all the names you called me: butterball, Play-Doh, tubby, extra double cheeseburger." A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "I can go on and freakin' on. But the point is that you made me feel like I was no one. I was shy, never liked to open up, on the brink of depression. Hell, I even thought about suicide once or twice, that's how bad it was. And every day, I would just put on a smile and pretend to be nice when the truth was, I was falling apart at the seams. You were only there to make it worse."

Brittany fell silent. She had nothing to say to his pain, his pent-up anger. Her voice came out in a raspy whisper that choked back tears. "Oh…Theo, I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt that way. I would take it all back if I could. I… I'm not that person anymore. I want…to help you…"

Theodore snorted. "Too late for that now, huh?"

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Brittany asked with fragile concern.

Theodore narrowed his eyes. "You know, the only person that's been there for me is Vanessa. She's been nothing but nice to me, the only person that actually wanted to listen when I had a problem, and you just…" he shook his head. "I can hardly look at you right now."

_I can hardly look at you right now…_ the phrase echoed in Brittany's mind. "Look, Theo, I do care. I realized that I never cared about you. At all. But seeing you like this… in this new light…"

"You mean in my new form?" Theodore put his hands in his jeans pockets. "Like that really helps. You just like me because I'm hot now."

"No! That's not the case anymore." She took a deep breath. "Theodore, I'm sorry," Brittany murmured, the water dams in her eyes near bursting. "I…I just.."

"Get out."

Brittany blinked away the tears, but her vision kept blurring. "Wh…what?"

"You heard me." Theodore gave her a hard gaze. "Get out. Go home. I don't want to see you right now."

Brittany's face was getting hotter and hotter by the second. She could feel the desperate lump in her throat get bigger as she held back the sobs. "But, Theo, I-"

"Vanessa's my girlfriend. You're not." Theodore said, turning back to the door and turning the knob. "I thought you would be, but you're not." Theodore looked back to her and gave her a cold glance over his shoulder, adding, "End of story."

The door shut with a final slam, seemingly punctuating that statement.

Brittany pursed her lips, trying not to cry. But the urge became harder and harder as she stared at the red door, watching the only guy that really cared about her walk behind that door and slam it in her face.

Brittany rushed to the door and pounded as if her life depended on it. She called his name, begged him to let her in, so they could talk, so she could say the things she didn't get to say, so they could make up and be friends again, so she could say she was sorry…for everything…

But, after fifteen minutes of frantic banging and several threats from the surrounding neighbors, she slumped to the steps in a pathetic heap, wrapped her arms around her knees, and allowed her defenses to weaken.

As much she hated crying in public, this was a special exception.

And she just couldn't hold it in any longer.

* * *

As soon as he stepped into the house and slammed the door, Theodore leaned against it and pounded his fist against it in frustration.

Soon enough, he heard pounding on his door and desperate shouts.

"Damn it," he muttered, pounding his fist against the door again. He really thought that what he had done was right, setting the rules and telling her that he was no longer her puppet, that he was a good person inside that needed just as much love as she did.

But something didn't feel right. It felt as if he had slapped her, chastising her for all the times she would yell at him. She had been so nice to her, and he had taken her for granted.

Why did she have to be so amazing?

Theodore tried to open the door, at least to get a glimpse of that beautifully sad face, when a voice stopped him. "I think you did the right thing."

Theodore turned around to find Vanessa standing at the top of the stairs, gazing at him. He sighed. "Doesn't feel like it." He paused. "Wait. How were you listening…?"

"I might have opened your window for some fresh air and overheard a few of the things you were saying." Vanessa stepped down the stairs and toward him.

Theodore gave a small smile. "Was I really that bad?"

"No, I thought you did great." Vanessa returned the smile, moving closer.

Theodore sadly gazed at the door, where the pounding resumed.

Vanessa gave a sigh. "You should forget about her, Teddy. All she's done for you was ignore you and demean you. You shouldn't have to go through that."

"I know, but…" Theodore sighed again. "I feel like… I've let her down in some way. Like I defeated her, but…it's a hollow victory, you know?"

"She wasn't worth your time." She was now in his range, gently holding out a hand to touch his arm gently. "Just let her go."

"I-I can't." He pulled her a little closer but still looked longingly at the door. "Brittany's not the type of girl you can easily forget…"

Vanessa blinked, anger flashing through her blue eyes for a second, only to be replaced with a soft, seductive gaze. "Will…will this help you to forget about her?"

She grabbed his chin, forcing him to lock eyes with her. His emerald gaze melted into her navy one, and she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

Of course, all he could think about was the kiss: how warm and soft her lips were, how sweet they tasted, how her tongue gently ran over his teeth. He forgot where he was. He forgot why he was here. The pounding on his door began to fade from his mind, and he could feel his heart race. He never wanted this moment to end, but when he opened his eyes for a second to gaze at her, all he could see was Brittany: her heart-shaped face, her bright, icy-blue eyes, her lovely auburn curls, and he could practically taste her strawberry lip gloss.

Was he dreaming?

When they pulled away from each other, his image of Brittany flickered back to Vanessa, who was smiling suggestively. "Wanna go back upstairs for some fun?"

Theodore only hollowly nodded.

"Theodore, are you okay?" Vanessa asked gently, noticing his distant expression.

Theodore snapped out of it. "Huh? Oh, I'm fine."

Vanessa smiled and took his hand, kissing it gently. "Good," she purred, gently tugging him back up the stairs.

Normally, he could feel a thrill of excitement course through his bones. He would be laughing and giggling along with her. But all he could do was stare at the door, remember what he had said, and wish that he had just kept his big mouth shut.

* * *

"Okay, class, it's time to present your projects," Amanda said cheerfully in class on Monday. "Everybody get ready to present!"

Everybody groaned—except for Theodore, who beamed as if it was a chance to compete on a game show. He gave a cautious smile to his partner and murmured, "Are you nervous?"

Brittany scoffed and swatted his arm playfully. "Nervous? Why would I be nervous? I'm fine." She gave a small hiccup, and then giggled.

Theodore eyed her. "You okay? You seem…peppy."

Brittany smiled. "Why wouldn't I be peppy, Theodore?"

Theodore narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you okay with…you know…what happened Saturday?"

"Oh, that's bridge under the water, Theodore." She waved it away. "Nothing to be nervous about." She giggled again.

Theodore's eyebrows scrunched together, but he only nodded and turned back to the white box he had set on the table.

She discreetly snuck her plastic water bottle from her backpack and took a gulp of the liquid inside—some champagne she stole from Miss Miller's wine cabinets. Normally, she wouldn't resort to drinking during school, but she had been so stressed out about Theodore and Vanessa that she went into panic mode this morning during breakfast and the next thing she knew, she was filling up one of Jeanette's old water bottles up to the brim with alcohol.

She pursed her lips at the burn of the bubbles as it slid down her throat. Her vision blurred slightly as she swayed in her chair, trying to settle her balance. She really shouldn't have taken that huge swig before third period.

Amanda smiled in their direction. "Theodore, Brittany, why don't you present yours first? Since you've been working so diligently in class lately." She giggled.

Brittany hiccupped, resisting the urge to tell her that he was way out of her league, since Amanda was twenty years older that them.

Theodore cleared his throat. "Well, what we decided to do was create a tropical-themed cake for our project. Or project is a red velvet cake with a design in red frosting on top of white frosting. We also decided to use fresh flowers such as yellow calla lilies and petunias from the school's flower garden to accentuate the cake's tropical theme."

Brittany perked her ears as she listened to him constantly use the pronoun "we."

We. As in both of them did this project together.

She stared at Theodore and watched him lie. He didn't offer a guilty glance back.  
The room started to murmur quietly, anxious at how the cake was going to look. They were ambitious as to see what the master chef of the class had created, but also worried that their projects would never live up to the expectations of the cake he presented to the class.

Theodore gripped the bottom of the white box. "So, without further adieu, we would like to present our project."

He lifted the box.

Everyone gasped, including Brittany.

The cake was so…beautiful.

The cake was exactly how he described it, with graceful swirl designs on it that accented the white cake. The yellow and pink flowers on it sat expectantly, as if they knew that they were pretty.

Brittany stared in shock at the cake. It so pretty, she thought, reaching out to touch the cake's soft petals. Is he really this talented? She glimpsed Theodore's way and noticed how he was surrounded by practically everyone, not just the girls this time, and how everyone was impressed and wanted a piece of his exotic-looking red velvet cake. She noticed the smile on his face as he carefully cut into the three-layered square cake and passed it on to one of his classmates.

Brittany couldn't help but feel a little sad. Maybe, if she hadn't been such a jerk to him, he would like her. He would be her friend. He would still like her for who she was as a person and never judge her like other guys did. She wished he would stop ignoring her and at least say that he was sorry for all the terrible things he'd said to her.

And then, he could, maybe…ask her out, too…

Brittany was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hardly noticed the small piece of cake that her crush slipped her. She blinked and stared at it, touched by the offer, but when she looked up with a flirty thank-you smile on her face, he had already turned his back to her, talking to a pretty, petite brunette.

She almost ignored it, defeated and heartbroken, when she heard the girl's voice say, "This cake is beautiful, Theodore…"  
Brittany's throat closed, heart leaping angrily in her chest. _Why is _she_ here?_

Theodore smiled warmly. "I'm glad you like it, Vanessa. I made it for you."

Everyone awed, including Vanessa, who milked it even further by putting her hand over her heart and smiling shyly. "Oh, Teddy! That's so sweet."

Brittany resisted the urge to dry-heave. That should be _her_ cake he dedicated to. He should be smiling like that at _her_.

But she'd blown it.

And there was no turning back.

The more Theodore smiled and blushed at Vanessa, the more she began to feel angry and jealous. She pulled the piece of cake closer to her, grabbed the plastic fork beside it, and shoved a forkful into her mouth. The soft, sweet taste of the cake began to soothe her nerves and numb the pain of her broken heart, just like how Theodore would comfort her whenever she was sad…

Brittany took another bite of cake, hoping to drown her sorrows in it, never wanting to come out.

Nearly four and a half pieces of red velvet cake later, Brittany was still unnerved by the flirting that was going on next to her. The pain in her chest wouldn't go away, and neither would Vanessa. They were still chatting, and the more Vanessa would touch Theodore's arm and laugh at whatever he said, the more cake Brittany would shovel forcefully into her mouth, chewing fiercely.

But it seemed like she was the only one who looked pissed. Her classmates looked like they were watching really enthralling soap opera or something. No one even noticed as the thin, beautiful Chipette stuck piece after piece of cake down her throat. Amanda had managed to sneak out sometime between Brittany's second or third piece of cake, and was still nowhere to be seen.

The happy couple was laughing, smiling, as if nothing had happened over the weekend. Her stomach gurgled as she shoved more cake in her mouth. Theodore was acting as if he hadn't hurt her, as if he hadn't shattered her heart into a million tiny pieces, as if he didn't care about her.

As if he never cared about her at all…

After gulping down another piece of thick red cake, Brittany felt her stomach churn in response. She gagged.

"Aw, poor Brittany," Vanessa said with a sympathetic smile, crossing over to her. "Is the widdle piggy gedding full alweady?" She baby-cooed teasingly.

Brittany grabbed her water bottle and glugged more of the champagne, slurring as she turned back to her, "I don't have to take any crap from you."

"Oh, really?" Vanessa asked, raising a delicate eyebrow. "Well, then, why don't you tell that to my face?"

Brittany gaped. Was she trying to start something? Who did she think she was?

Hesitantly, Brittany stood, gripping her water bottle and the desk. She wobbled over to where Vanessa was standing, her head spinning. She nearly tipped over leaning into Vanessa. Was she really this drunk already? "You know, Vanessa, this is a big girl fight. So why don't you stop and go back to your boyfriend before I kick your perky little ass across the school?"

"Oh, I can definitely see that you're in the perfect shape to kick my ass, alright," Vanessa said, eyeing the water bottle in Brittany's clutched fist. "And what's in that thing? Vodka?"

"Champagne. Wanna try?" And before Vanessa could answer, Brittany opened the water bottle and squirted her with the liquid.

"Brittany!" Theodore yelled, but was unsure as to do anything.

"Oh my God!" Vanessa stepped back, swatting at her dress. Her face was flushed with fury. "You are so paying for this dress!"

"Ooh, I'm shaking," Brittany giggled, and then hiccupped loudly. "Just remember, sweetheart, he moved in on me first." She made slurpy kissing noises in Vanessa's face.

"You are such a bitch!" Vanessa screamed, tears welling in her deep ocean eyes.

"You are the one that invented bitchiness, you backstabber!" She began to imitate Vanessa's high-pitched voice. "Oh, I'm so cute! I'm a sophomore! I'll just act nice to every girl I meet and then steal their boyfriends and sleep with them! Oh, I know! I'll even act cutesy to add even more points to the score when I know I'm just an ugly, bitchy cow!"

A loud slap was the only thing that echoed through the room after that.

Everyone gasped, leaning in to see more of the unfolding drama.

Brittany blinked, holding her stinging cheek. "Th-Theodore…"

Theodore's mouth was in a taut line. He balled up the hand that he used to slap her. "Stop. Just stop. Just stop"—he began gesticulating with his hands—"all this. Why do you feel like you have to antagonize my girlfriend, huh? Are you really that desperate to get my attention?"

It was Brittany's turn to feel emotion clawing at her stomach—or was that the champagne? "I—"

"Why do you always feel like you have to be on top, Brittany?"

Brittany's throat closed. "Theo, I-"

"What makes you think that your popularity gets you everything you want?"

An air bubble escaped her throat as she let out a small burp. "Theodore, I…"

"You know, not everyone thinks you're as great as you think you are."

Saliva began to pool in her mouth, but she swallowed it, murmuring, "Theodore, I don't feel good…"

Theodore sighed, apparently not hearing her as he continued. "You know, I thought you were a really great person, Brittany. I though we could be really great friends. I thought you were above acting superior to others." He shook his head sadly. "But, I guess I was wrong about you. I can't say I'm not surprised…"

Brittany could feel her stomach burble and tumble. Spit began to travel up her throat again. She moaned, her vision blurring. She stumbled forward, beads of sweat popping on her forehead.

Theodore's eyebrows crinkled as he realized something was wrong. He stepped forward, gently gripping Brittany's arm. "Britt, you okay?"

Brittany's breathing became shallow. Her vision fogged up. Her stomach throbbed and wiggled, preventing the cake she'd scarfed from coming back up. She tried to push him away, but missed him, her arms flailing drunkenly in front of her. "I don't need any of your help…" She burped loudly, feeling something crawl up her throat that wasn't supposed to come up in the first place.

Vanessa smirked at Brittany. "What's wrong, Britt? Guilt eating you alive?"

"I…don't…have to…take anything…from you…" Brittany felt her nausea take over. "I just…" She gagged.

"Maybe we should take you to the nurse…" Theodore said softly.

"Don't take her side, Theodore!" Vanessa protested. "She's just a—"

Brittany finally couldn't hold it in anymore, and she just seemed to explode. Chunky pinkish vomit spilled from her mouth to Vanessa, who was, unfortunately, in a target spot to be hit by the wave.

Everyone turned away in disgust, suddenly feeling nauseous as well.

"Ewwwww!" Vanessa squealed, careful not to touch her dress. "Get away from me! You're disgusting!" She turned to her boyfriend in a desperate fit. "Theodore! Get this gross stuff off me!"

Brittany fell to the floor from Theodore's grasp, still retching on the floor. She groaned, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She looked to Theodore with desperation in her eyes and spoke in a small, soft voice, "Theodore…help me…" She hiccupped loudly, feeling another round of the Tilt-A-Hurl in her stomach start again.

"Uh…," Theodore stammered, glancing between the two girls. Which one should he help first?

"Theodore!" Vanessa's voice pierced his thoughts. "Will you stop standing there and help me? This is starting to seep through my clothes…" She hesitantly wiped at her dress with a napkin.

"Theodore…" Brittany reached out her hand that was not covered in her puke to him. Her heart hammered, her stomach still fluttering. "Help…me…"

Theodore locked eyes with Brittany. She looked so desperate to talk to him, to reach him, to be with him. She was the one that built him, trained him, and created him to be the greatest Adonis he could possibly be. _But she'd taken advantage of me,_ Theodore thought bitterly. _She'd called me names, teased me endlessly, and hurt me. I don't need her. _

Then he looked to Vanessa, who was still looking at him expectantly, as if she owned him, as if he were a highly trained dog that was expected to be called whenever she needed him. She was the one that listened to his problems and synthesized with him, the one that comforted him when he was insecure, the one that loved him with all her heart and never let go. The one he'd slept with…because he loved her.

He loved her…right?

Right?

"Theodore…" Brittany muttered softly, her head lolling against her shoulders. "I…I'm sorry. For…for everything. I just…wanted you…to know that before you…made your choice. I…I really wish I could start all over. I miss you. I…I love you…"

Theodore blushed a little. Something in her voice told him that she meant it. every word. With a small smile he murmured, "Britt…"

Brittany smiled back weakly. "Theo…"

Bam! The door swung open, interrupting the tender moment.

"Is everything okay in here?" Amanda asked. Her hair looked disheveled, and she had bags underneath her turquoise eyes. She surveyed the scene, sensing the tension, and cringed repulsively at Brittany. "What's going on?"

Before anyone could say anything, Theodore sidestepped Brittany and her pool of vomit, trekking over to Vanessa. He put an arm around her shoulders and led her to the door as if she were a frail old woman who needed serious attention. He looked back to Brittany indignantly as he said, "Come on. Let's go get you cleaned up."

Vanessa sniffled, nodding and throwing a triumphant smirk at Brittany.

And he left. With Vanessa in his arms. Just like that.

Everyone started muttering, shaking their heads at the pathetic-looking girl still sprawled on the floor. For the first time ever, Brittany Miller had lost.

Brittany suddenly felt really sick to her stomach—and it wasn't just from the alcohol. She got off the floor, nearly slipping all over herself, grabbed the nearest trash can, and bolted for the supply closet, locking herself inside.

As soon as she was settled inside, Brittany burst into a fresh wave of tears. Even she couldn't seem to comprehend what had just happened. But whatever had happened, the last part was pretty clear in her muddled mind:

He chose Vanessa.

He chose Vanessa over Brittany.

And now he was gone.

Those thoughts just made the tears come in even stronger.

"Brittany!" Amanda's voice came through the thick door. "Brittany, come out! Please!"

Brittany didn't answer, but just hugged her knees to her chest.

"Brittany! Please, just open the door! Why don't we talk about this! I can go get the counselor! Just come out of there!"

Brittany pursed her lips together. No one could help her anymore. Her heart was already busted through, torn apart piñata-style.

No one could fix it. Not even a cheesy, underpaid high school counselor.

Brittany could feel that the champagne was not through with her yet, her stomach going through major turbulence. She sniffed, thinking, _What else do I have to lose?_

So, she took the trash can, leaned over it so her head was almost in it, and stuck her middle finger down her throat as far as it could go…

And heaved as hard as she could.

**Sigh...This was a pretty emotional part to write. I'm exhausted even rereading it. Especially the end...**

**This also took about 15 pages on Word, so it better be pretty quality work.  
**

**So, how did I do for a comeback? Please tell me? Please, please, please, please?**

**Well, I gotta keep studying. Reviews, please! I love them more than chocolate (and trust me, that says a lot!). :)  
**


	5. Just Friends

**The final part of the story. I'm so proud I didn't give up on this. And I'm really glad you guys love it so much! Thank you! I'm just sad that it's over. *sniffle***

**Well, I hope you guys enjoy the end! :)  
**

**Part 5**

_"Theodore… I'm sorry… for…for everything…"_

The phrase echoed through Theodore's mind as he lied on his bed, hands folded under his head, his brain aching as he replayed everything that had happened over the past few weeks. As much as he hated how Brittany treated him in the past few years, he just couldn't stop thinking about her. She was just so cute, and she really seemed to care about him. But he was hesitant because of one thing: his current girlfriend, Vanessa, who didn't like Brittany quite as much as he did.

Well, not at all like he did.

But that didn't stop him from liking Brittany. She had apologized to him. She'd even admitted to loving him.

But could he trust her again, after everything she put him through over the years?

_Brittany,_ Theodore thought sadly_, why did you have to like me _now_? Why couldn't you have just been my friend from the beginning? Why?_

He sighed and focused on the ceiling, his eyes crossing as he focused harder and harder on the cracks in it. _What should I do?_ He asked the ceiling. _Which one should I choose?_ Then the cracks started to cross and float, and they formed into two beautiful faces: one dark-haired beauty, and one fiery redhead. Both of the images whispered, _"Pick me, Theodore…"_

He blinked the images away. What was he doing? He was talking to a _ceiling_, for God's sake.

_Maybe if I make a pro-con list…_ Theodore dragged himself to his desk, opened up the notepad in his desktop computer, and started to type. After fifteen minutes of staring at his blinking cursor as his fingers flew across the keyboard, he had created a list similar to this:

**Who is the better choice?**

**Brittany**

**She's the most beautiful and popular girl in the whole school**

**I've known her since I was eight**

**Even though she's really mean sometimes, she's a nice person deep down**

**She busted her butt to make me a really attractive-looking guy**

**She apologized to me for everything I went through, and even offered to help me**

**She's really cute and sweet, and she really seems to want to be my friend now**

**Vanessa**

**She's very pretty**

**She's a sophomore**

**She encouraged me to be a better person**

**She's very nice and sympathetic to my problems**

**She's only dated a couple of other guys before**

**We slept with each other**

After mulling over the list endlessly, Theodore still couldn't seem to choose. He was just way too overwhelmed by all of this to pick whether which girl was right for him.

_Brittany's really beautiful,_ Theodore sighed, thinking about her slender body, beautiful, long, light auburn hair, sparkling ice-blue eyes, and cute pink nose that wrinkled whenever she laughed her tinkly little laugh_. She may be really mean, bossy, controlling, manipulative, and vain, but she's also really sweet and nice when she wants to be, and she's really trying to be a good friend. Maybe I should give her another chance…_

_Pick me, Theodore, _he could practically hear Brittany murmur in his ear. _I need you. I want to be your friend again. I know I haven't been a good person, and I've been really selfish lately, but you have to forgive me. Please forgive me, Theodore. I'm sorry…_

_But what about Vanessa?_ He asked himself, his vision of Brittany dissipating into one of a pretty human girl with soft, pale skin, alluring navy-blue eyes, glossy brownish-black curls, and a sweet smile. _I mean, she's been such a considerate person, listening to me complain about my past life. She's such a beautiful person, inside and out, and she's just so sweet. If only she didn't hate Brittany so much…_

_Theodore, you have to pick me,_ Vanessa's shrill voice rang in his ears. _I've been there for you, listening to you whenever you didn't like something that Brittany did. Please, Theodore. We've been through a lot. Please don't let it got to waste. Please…_

His headache grew as he stared fixedly at his computer screen, getting more and more frustrated. Was it really this hard to pick between two amazing girls?

_Theodore,_ Brittany's sultry voice whispered. _Vanessa's a bitch. You shouldn't trust her. Trust _me_. I've known you longer. Please, just stop before you get hurt._

_Theodore, _Vanessa's soft voice cooed, _Brittany's been a bitch to you your whole life. Can you really live with that? I understand your pain. Forget about her. Please pick me._

_No, pick me, Theo…_

_Teddy, pick me…_

_Pick me…_

_Pick me…_

The two voices blended into one that kept whispering those two words, repeating them over and over until they blocked out all of his other thoughts.

"UGH!" Theodore groaned, banging his head on his keyboard. Even in his own mind, he wasn't safe.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Theodore looked up to find his brothers standing at the door. He shook his head sadly. "I'm just so confused right now, that's all."

"What about?" Simon asked.

Theodore turned the computer monitor toward them, showing the list.

"Since when do you still like Brittany?" Alvin asked, making himself comfortable on Theodore's bed.

"Since she apologized to me for being mean all those years," Theodore said.

Alvin raised an eyebrow, waiting.

Theodore shifted in his seat. "…and we might've made out in her kitchen a few days ago…"

A surprised expression crossed Simon's face.

"…and she nearly clawed Vanessa's face off at school today fighting over me." As an afterthought, Theodore added, "And she looked pretty drunk, too."

After a pause, Alvin said with a smirk, "Wow. You sound like you're in pretty deep, huh?"

Theodore nodded. "Yeah. But what should I do?"

"Maybe you should just talk to them," Simon suggested. "Then you can decide which one is better for you."

"Boring!" Alvin yawned, sitting up in the bed. "Come on, Si, you've gotta be more creative than that."

Simon rolled his eyes. "Well, we can't all be heartbreakers like you, Alvin."

"What would you do, Alvin?" Theodore asked.

Alvin stood and strode across the room confidently. "Well, if I were you, I would break it off with the one that's more attached. That way, she won't be clingy in the future."

"That doesn't seem very nice," Theodore pointed out.

"It isn't," Alvin said, "but it gets them off your back. Girls don't have as big of egos as guys do."

"Yeah, but they have _feelings_, Alvin," Simon replied, crossing his arms. "I don't think they would appreciate just being dropped off like that."

Alvin shrugged. "You eat your pie one way; I eat mine a different way."

"Man, I wish it was just as easy as picking pie," Theodore sighed.

A sound like bells chimed from his phone.

He picked it up and saw that he'd gotten one new text message.

"What is it, Theodore?" Simon asked as Theodore checked the message.

"It's from Vanessa," Theodore said. "She wants to know if we're still going out tonight. What should I do?"

Simon shrugged. "You should think about it. I mean, Vanessa's cute, but do you really like her?"

Theodore sighed. "I…I don't know." He turned to Alvin. "Would you be jealous if I started dating Brittany, Alvin?"

"Go for it, Theodore," Alvin smiled, but his smile dimmed a little as he stared at his brother. "Just be careful, Theo. Okay? I know you're kind of caught up in the middle right now, but girls can be tough. Brittany…she's a bit of a handful. Don't let her control you, okay? I don't know what's going on with you two, but… just don't get hurt, okay?"

Theodore nodded, his older brother's words sinking in. "Okay. Thanks, Alvin."

Simon nodded appreciatively. "Spoken like a true elder brother."

Alvin shoved him as he went out the door. "Shut up, Simon. And don't expect a speech like that when you get in between girls."

Simon smiled at Theodore. "Don't worry about it, Theo. Whoever you pick will be really special."

Theodore gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Si."

As Simon left, Theodore stared at his cell phone. Did he really want to be with Vanessa? Or was his heart still set on the beautiful Chipette?

_I need a sign_, he pleaded with the universe. Anything to know which girl I can choose. _Just one sign…_

He sat there, thinking about it, but was interrupted by his phone ringing. Checking the screen, it was Vanessa calling. For some reason, he was filled with disappointment.

Was this his sign?

He let it ring, but saw that Vanessa had left a message.

Suddenly, his head filled with an idea. If he couldn't have either one, then why not have them both?

Theodore flipped open his phone and opened a new text message. All he needed to send was a single text…

* * *

_"You know, I thought you were a really great person, Brittany. I though we could be really great friends. I thought you were above acting superior to others." He shook his head sadly. "But, I guess I was wrong about you…"_

Pinkish-orange sunlight poured through Brittany's bedroom window that afternoon, rippling on her walls and reflecting off her magenta bedspread. Usually, Brittany would watch the pretty light show sparkle through her window pane, thinking that it was the only thing prettier than her. But today, she was cannon-blowing snot into yet another Kleenex as she leaned against her headboard, surrounded by fluffy pillows and small stuffed animals, wondering what had gone wrong just only three hours ago.

_He doesn't love me,_ she thought sadly, stuffing chocolates in her mouth and chomping in frustration. _He loves _her_. I pour out my heart and soul out to him; give him everything he needs to be just like me, and for what? Some tramp that wants to steal him away from me? I don't think so._

She absently grabbed a small brown teddy bear and stroked its ears, staring fixedly out the window. _Fine. If he wanted her, he could have her. He's so dead to me…_

Brittany grabbed more chocolates and popped them into her mouth. She could feel her thighs thicken and her face fatten. Her whole body felt heavier, but she didn't seem to care. All she knew that he was gone, and she'd blown her chances. That weight alone made her heart gain twenty pounds.

Her stomach gurgled, and she gagged a little. Her stomachache was gone, but the pain in her chest wouldn't go away…nor the massive migraine that came with the slight hangover. No Advil could make any of it go away. On instinct, Brittany grabbed the little pink waste basket next to her desk and stuck her head in it, trying to retch in it. She put her middle finger on her lip, contemplating, but she sighed and put the waste basket back in its place. Making herself throw up wouldn't solve her problems, and it wouldn't win Theodore back, either. Amanda had told her that, right after the little incident that had gone down in the classroom…

"_Brittany, please open the door!"_

_Brittany lifted her head from inside the trash can, wiping the bile from her lips and screaming, "Leave me alone!" she lifted her finger, getting ready for another round, but she heard the door being unlocked, and the next thing she knew, Amanda, a janitor, and the school nurse, were standing in the doorway, staring at the girl in disgust._

_Amanda cocked her head sympathetically. "Brittany, we need to talk."_

_Brittany huddled on the far edge of the Meditation Room, the trash can held close to her chest. "Stay away from me!"_

_Amanda leaned down to the floor. "Brittany, I don't know what you're going through, but I can help. I understand—"_

"_Oh, what?" Brittany spat at her. "Just because you think you're some kind of peace and love guru you think you're able to handle my issues? The world isn't all rainbows and butterflies, Amanda. The guy I love just rejected me, I'm drunk, I'm throwing up into a trash can because I'm drunk, and a psycho girl wants me to go rot in hell for hurting her boyfriend, who just happens to be the guy that rejected me. So yeah, it all comes full circle, and everything is all grapes and peaches in the Romeo and Juliet tragedy that is my life." By this point, tears streaked down Brittany's cheeks and her voice broke._

_Amanda blinked for a few seconds, and then said quietly, rubbing Brittany's shoulder, "Why don't you tell me everything?"_

_Brittany didn't know why at that moment, but she confessed. She told her story to Amanda, and Amanda listened to every word, not interrupting and not judging._

"_I used to have that same problem," Amanda replied after Brittany finished._

_Brittany's eyes widened. "You did?"_

_Amanda nodded. "I had a crush on this really cute guy once in college. He was my best friend, and he was the sweetest, nicest, cutest boy I knew. I was really shy to talk to him, but I knew I liked him and he liked me. But then my best friend, one that was really close to me, stole him from me. She dangled him right in my face, and I couldn't help but fight back. There was hair pulling, catfights, manipulating and scheming. Then, at the end of college, when I found out they were getting married, I was still in love with him. I smiled at him like it was nothing, but it felt something in me kind of just…snapped. And some where along the line, I developed a little bit of an alcohol problem. I was really jealous, and the more I thought about them together, the more I tried to drown my worries away. Three bottles of wine later during the wedding, I was checked into the hospital to have my stomach pumped."_

_Brittany blinked at the thought of her teacher getting alcohol poisoning. "Really?"_

_Amanda pursed her lips at the memory. "It was a low point in my life. I'd never been so depressed. After that, I never got near any more alcohol. I realized that I'd nearly died…over a boy. How stupid was that?"_

_Brittany looked down at the floor in shame, unable to answer. She suddenly smelled the trash can she was holding, and pushed it away. Maybe making herself puke wasn't the best habit to develop._

"_You know, Brittany?" Amanda said softly, putting a hand on Brittany's shoulders. "You remind me of myself when I was a young girl. Clever, beautiful, only cared about my own life and my own needs. All I wanted was for that one guy to like me, and look what happened. I'm a miserable, hopelessly optimistic cooking teacher that's still ignoring the couple that broke my heart five years earlier." She sighed. "Look, Britt, I know that you're really feeling hurt, but there comes a time that you have to forgive and forget, you know? After you cry out your feelings for a little bit, you usually have to come to terms with your feelings. If he wants to be with her, you have to let go."_

"_But…but what if I can't let go?" Brittany murmured. "What if I realize that he's the greatest guy I'll ever meet in a very long time, and I want him to stay with me?"_

_Amanda didn't answer for a long time. But after a long pause, the corners of her mouth turned up into a sympathetic smile. "If I knew the answer to that question, I still would have been with the guy of my dreams. But, I think, eventually, you would have had to let go, anyway. Guys don't stay long."_

_Brittany smiled a little, letting the last sentence sink in. "Thanks, Amanda. I…I think that really helped."_

_Amanda returned the smile with a relieved grin. "No problem, Brittany."_

_Brittany felt lighter. Freer. More calm and serene. It felt really good to tell her about the issues in her life, and have someone listen. It kind of felt like…_

_Well, what Theodore used to do. He would listen to her complaining and not judge, not counteract, something that Alvin did all the time. Theodore was so sweet to her, and kind, and so painfully shy it was adorable._

_What happened to that Theodore?_

_For Brittany's sake, she hoped it wasn't too late for apologies._

Brittany couldn't help but think about how things would have been different if she'd been nice to Theodore. Why did it always to be the sweet guys that turned out to be the hottest ones?

She looked at the small bear in her hands, a small pink ribbon tied around its neck. She cocked her head, shyly thinking about how Theodore had given it to her as a thank-you gift when he won it for her at a fair. She thought about how he smiled admirably at her, and how he shyly blushed when he held it out to her and whispered, "For you." She smiled, her fingers tingling as she thought about how his fingers brushed hers as he pressed the plush object into her manicured hands, as if it were something fragile and precious. She could still feel her heart lift as she thought about the soft smile and the glowing green eyes that peered into her soul.

She sighed and kissed the little toy on its furry head. If only she had a little more time…

Brittany's bedroom door creaked open. "Britt? Can we talk to you?"

Brittany looked up to see Jeanette and Eleanor staring at her with big eyes. She nodded them inside.

As soon as they were settled on Brittany's bed, Jeanette blurted, "Why didn't you tell us you liked Theodore?"

Brittany's eyes widened.

Eleanor elbowed her sister. "You were supposed to be more subtle, remember?" she hissed.

"Sorry, Britt," Jeanette murmured, rubbing the back of her neck. "But I just couldn't believe it. You…and sweet old Teddy… It just doesn't make any sense to me. I mean, you don't seem to like boys like him. It just seems weird."

Eleanor pursed her lips in agreement.

"Not that you should be offended, or anything," Jeanette quickly added.

Brittany slowly nodded. "I understand. I mean, I know that I haven't been a very good person to Theodore in the past, but…but I realize that he's actually a really sweet guy inside, and that he felt pretty lonely inside. All he needed was a friend, and all I did was just selfishly push him away. And now he's with her, and all I can do is sit here, wondering what could have been."

Eleanor and Jeanette stayed quiet, as if waiting for more.

Brittany sighed. "Whatever. I ruined it for myself, anyway." She paused and took a breath, preparing for the worst. "So…how bad is it? And don't even try to tell me you don't know, 'cause I know you do."

Eleanor and Jeanette exchanged glances, and then turned back to their elder sister. "Do you really want to know?" Eleanor asked carefully.

Brittany shrugged nonchalantly. "I've been through worse."

After exchanging another set of glances (which was majorly starting to annoy Brittany), they pulled out their phones and started typing something into them.

"Well…first, Vanessa tweeted about it," Jeanette said, holding her phone towards Brittany.

"And then she posted it on her wall on Facebook," Eleanor added, showing Brittany as well.

Brittany muttered some expletives. "I can't believe that little twerp. She just can't stop making my life miserable just so I'll leave Theodore alone, can't she?"

"According to the tweet she sent almost immediately after school, she called you a, uh, quote-unquote 'desperate, skanky-ass bitch that can't seem to stop binging and purging to try to steal my bf.'"

Brittany groaned, leaning back on her pillows. "Anything else I should know about?"

After a pause, Eleanor showed her a video playing on her phone. It was of the drunken Brittany yelling at Vanessa, and the hard slap Theodore delivered to her cheek. She softly rubbed it, still feeling the slight sting. She cringed as she watched herself throw up, then desperately try to talk to Theodore from her position on the floor. After Amanda came into the room, she saw herself go pale and scurry to the closet, grabbing a trash can. The video ended there, but it didn't seem to stop, as it immediately started to loop over and over again on the screen.

Brittany could feel the tears spring to her eyes. "Where did you get that?" she whispered.

"Vanessa sent it to me," Eleanor stated. "…And to the rest of the school."

Brittany closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying not to break into one of her world-famous temper tantrums. After a while, she whispered softly, more to herself than to her sisters, "Why? Why did this happen to me? Why did I have to like him this way? What did I ever do to deserve this?"

"Well, maybe it's because—" Jeanette started.

"It was a rhetorical question, Jean," Brittany sniped in annoyance, glaring through narrowed eyes.

Jeanette bristled. "Sorry, Britt. Maybe I should go…" She started to get up.

Brittany exhaled softly. "No, Jeanette, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just a little stressed, that's all."

Suddenly, her phone chimed eagerly. Leaning on the nightstand, she took her cell phone. _One New text message_, it said. Brittany rolled her eyes. Vanessa probably wanted to tell her off for ruining her dress, and demand cash for the dry-cleaning. Or, maybe she wanted to apologize to her for being so mean and wanted to start over on a cleaner slate.

Brittany didn't know Vanessa well, but she knew a kiss-ass when she saw one.

She angrily pressed _Open_, her fingers itching to send a retort back, but scanned the message to find that it wasn't Vanessa at all.

**Hey…it's me, Theodore. I was kind of wondering if you wanted to come and talk about…well, this whole mess. We can figure something out, Britt. If you're interested, meet me in the parking lot of the old diner on 79****th**** Street. If you come, that's OK, and if you don't and you're really mad at me, that's OK as well.**

**I really want us to be friends again.**

**I just want to make things right.**

**I hope you do come. Love, Theo.**

A tear rolled down Brittany's cheek.

He hadn't forgotten her.

He missed her.

And, maybe…

Maybe he even…_loved_ her.

With hope in her heart, she dropped the phone on her bed, leaving two perplexed sisters to stare after her as she rushed around her room, pulling stray hairs, putting on makeup, and dressing in non-vomit-coated clothing.

Brittany pulled on her shoes, her mind buzzing busily. As she grabbed her jacket, she stomped out of her room and made her way down the stairs, calling to the house that she would be back later. As she started the car in her driveway, questions bounced in her head:

Was it a date…or was it just a talk?

Would he accept her…or just lay down the line?

Would he forgive her for the past…or just delve into his future with Vanessa?

She had to know… because she wouldn't give Theodore up without a fight.

* * *

Brittany's car rolled down the street, searching for the small sardine box of a diner down the road on 79th Street. As she spotted the silver-painted building, her heart pounded, her legs shook, and her clammy hands started to slip from the wheel. She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened earlier today, and what _will_ happen in the parking lot. She could feel her gut churning, ready for fight or flight. Could she keep it together…not just for her own sake, but for Theodore's as well?

She honestly hoped that she could handle it.

Her heart pulsed as she turned into the vacant parking lot, spotting Theodore leaning against the hood of Dave's ancient blue Mustang, hands in his jean pockets. Theodore's leather jacket shone under the tangerine glow of the streetlamp, his sandy hair curling on his forehead, his expression stoic and unreadable.

Brittany saw him eye her as she pulled into the space next to him and park. _This is it,_ she thought, yanking the keys from the ignition and trying internally to pull herself together. _It's now or never. I can't hide from him forever._

She climbed out of her car and slowly crossed over to where Theodore was standing. She took in his strong frame and his soft green eyes and the cute way he crossed his arms over his chest casually. She just wished every little thing about him didn't drive her so crazy.

As soon as she leaned against her car, directly across from him, she murmured, "Hey."

He didn't take his eyes off of his gray Converses. "Hi."

After a moment, she glanced up without moving her head. "You heard about Vanessa posting all that stuff on the internet, didn't you?"

He lifted his head, staring at her with wide eyes. He nodded.

Brittany pursed her lips and forced herself to look into his eyes. "Thought so." She breathed in deeply, forcing herself to look into his eyes, letting the words flow out of her. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened today. I… I didn't mean to be like that. I mean, sure I get a little boy-obsessed sometimes, and sure I get carried away when I get mad, but I'm a good person. I barely drink. I try to get at least B's on my report card. I know I shouldn't be obsessed over a guy that likes someone else. It's your choice, not mine. And also, I really do feel sorry about the crap I put over you when we were younger. I guess…I'm not good at keeping friends." She gave a short laugh. When she saw his encouraging smile, she continued. "I don't deserve to be with you. In fact, I don't think that I even deserve to speak to you or be affiliated with you ever again. Even I hate myself right now, for putting you through all that and making you miserable. But, you know something, Theo?"

Theodore looked at her and waited patiently.

"If we were in an alternate universe, or if hell totally froze over and we were the only two people on Earth with well-functioning brains…" She smiled hopefully as she finished, "We would have been a really great couple."

Theodore pursed his lips in uncertainty.

The silence was dense, her words ringing softly in her ears. _Is this it?_ she asked herself, watching Theodore rock back and forth in his place, mulling it over. _Will he just tell me that I blew it again, that there's nothing that can fix the bond we once shared? If only I could read his mind…_

Theodore sighed heavily, making Brittany's heart pump faster. He spoke softly, which made her feel even worse. "Britt...for as long as I've known you, I know for sure that you are the most arrogant, selfish, egotistical girl I've ever met."

Brittany's heart sank. _Here it comes…_

"You're vain, cruel, and stubborn. You always want your way or no way, and you throw a temper tantrum whenever things don't go according to plan."

Brittany bit her lip, afraid that she was going to cry. _He thinks that I'm an annoying brat. Maybe I should just disappear off the face of the earth and never come back._

"You think you're so superior to everyone else, that you are better than everyone else. And it seems like everyone can see through you because you're so transparent and airheaded."

_Just say it, Theo,_ Brittany thought, closing her eyes, bracing for the blow he was about to strike. _I hate you. I never want to see you again. Something…anything…_

"But the worst thing of all is that you hated how I looked on the outside, and you never looked in. that hurt most of all."

He was going to ask her to leave.

"But seeing you now…"

He never wanted to see another girl like he as long as he lived…because he was in love with _her_…

"I wanted to say…"

He hates her now...and she could never fix it.

"Thank you."

Brittany's eyes popped open, and her jaw dropped. "WHAT?"

Theodore smiled at her expression. "Britt, I know that you're not the most perfect person in the world. I know you try to keep it together for the sake of everyone's sanities. But everyone has flaws. Even though you're really vain and prideful, I also know that you're clever and kind, even though you don't show it often."

Brittany's eyes widened. "Really? You think that about me?"

Theodore nodded. "I don't care that you're pretty. I don't care that you're popular. I saw through all that. I've seen how sweet you can be, and how much you helped me. Vanessa helped me through my problems because she wanted to. She listened because she cared about other people and tried to help. That's all I wanted from you, Britt. All I needed was someone to talk to, to help me through these things. I'm glad now that you can finally see things my way. So, I guess you really helped me for the better. Thanks."

Brittany beamed. No one had ever said such nice things to her. But then again, that's the way Theodore was. His compassion would never change.

She never wanted that to change; it was his best quality.

Brittany leaned into him, touching his face softly. "So…does this mean I'm forgiven?" she whispered hopefully.

Theodore smiled and stroked her long hair. "Yeah, Britt. I forgive you."

Brittany grinned, giggling, and Theodore grinned back.

A soft, cool breeze floated in the air between them, and they realized that they were staring into each others' eyes. Brittany subconsciously started to lean into Theodore, imagining the sweet taste of his gentle lips. Closer…closer…closer…

Until she found Theodore's finger on her lips.

She stared at Theodore in disbelief. "Theo…"

Theodore gave her a knowing look. "I have a girlfriend now," he said firmly, letting his finger slip away from her lips and onto her cheek. "Do you even remember all that trouble you caused earlier today?" He eyed her suspiciously, as if he thought she was still drunk.

Brittany blinked, feelings of dejection starting to invade. "But Theo, I—"

"What Vanessa said was still true. Just because I forgive you doesn't mean I fully trust you again." He stared her down with his big green eyes. "You have to earn it back. If you can't, I won't forgive you as easily next time. Do you understand?"

Brittany bit her lip, but nodded. She could tell he meant business. "Oh. Okay."

The seriousness washed away from his face as he ran his fingers through his hair, blushing. Brittany exhaled, as if just realizing that her breath was held for that whole talk. They laughed quietly, staring into each others' eyes again, and then looked away again shyly.

A silence followed, but it wasn't awkward. This time, it felt comfortable. Familiar. As if the conversation had filled the empty holes, creating a fresh, new blossom of friendship.

Theodore and Brittany smiled at each other for a while, until his phone buzzed.

Taking it out, Theodore inspected it, his smile fading. Brittany could feel her heart deflate in her chest. Couldn't that girl just give her five seconds of happiness for once?

He put his phone back in his jacket pocket. "Sorry, Britt, I gotta go. Vanessa's waiting for me at the library. I should get going before she starts asking questions."

Brittany nodded sadly, not wanting him to leave so soon. "Sure, Theo…I, um, should get going as well."

Theodore stepped closer to her and stroked her long, shiny hair. "I'm really glad that we got to talk, Britt."

Brittany smiled softly. "I'm really glad, too, Theo."

Theodore stared at her, enraptured in her calm blue eyes. Brittany stared back into his bright green eyes as well.

They leaned into each other again, until their lips touched.

Brittany could feel her body burn and her brain melt. She kissed him a little harder, pushing herself into his warm arms and against his lean frame. Her mind kept thinking about his body, even though the words _just friends_ echoed in her brain. Theodore kissed back, realizing how much he missed her soft lips, her hourglass figure against him, and her small frame in his arms. He tried to keep his brain functioning, to tell her that they were just friends, but his body was the opposite, craving her presence, wanting more than just friendship.

After nearly ten minutes of rubbing against his car, Theodore put his hands on Brittany's cheeks and pulled away. Both were breathing hard, but Theodore tried to keep his cool as he warned, "Brittany, we can't do this. I'm sorry, but… I have to go."

Brittany stared lustfully as his lips, wanting to feel the soft pressure again on her own. But she still hesitantly replied, "Okay. Do…do you really have to go?"

Theodore responded by kissing her forehead slowly. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?"

Dread filled Brittany as the YouTube video replayed over and over in her head. "Oh…I, um…well…"

"Brittany," Theodore said softly, seeing her facial expression, "if anyone can get through this, I know it's you. If you have to walk those halls alone, just know that I'll be by your side the whole time. I can even talk to Vanessa for you to take those posts offline, if you want to."

Brittany gaped at him in awe. He was so sweet! "That would be so great! Thank you so much!"

Theodore smiled sweetly. "No problem." He started to head to his car. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Brittany crossed her arms over her chest and nodded slowly. "Yeah. See you."

Without another word, Theodore gave Brittany another quick kiss. Before she could respond, he got into his car, started it, and drove off, making sure that Brittany never saw the mischievous grin on his face.

Brittany got into her car, too, grinning uncontrollably. For once, she felt like she was floating in the clouds. For once, it felt like nothing could hurt her. For once, she actually listened to her teacher's great advice on boys. For once, she'd discovered that the perfect guy for her had been there in front of her all along, and that she needed him just as much as he needed her.

And for once, she realized, despite the undoubted rumors that would definitely be swirling, that she actually couldn't wait for school tomorrow.

**Aw! Britt and Theo made up! And they learned a few lessons about each other along the way!**

**Did you like the ending? Did it satisfy you? Or were you disappointed and expected some huge romantic make-out session in the rain where Vanessa got "accidentally" hit by a car while watching in jealously?**

**Well, not everyone can have a happy ending. And who knows? I might not be done yet... ;)  
**

**So, is it possibly sequel-worthy? Or does it fall flat? Your choice! Review! ('Cause reviews make the world go round!)  
**


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